FSA opens applications for non-insured disaster crop assistance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is already accepting applicants for their non-insured disaster crop assistance for the next year.

According to USDA FSA county executive director Thomas Camacho, the assistance program is a tool that can be used by commercial farmers to manage their risks.

“In the event of a natural disaster, or any adverse weather-related condition, the United States Department of Agriculture basically can come in and provide them with assistance with their loss in yield,” Camacho said.

He pointed out that there are no catastrophic insurance companies willing to go to the CNMI and provide insurance coverage for produce for yield-based crops.

In light of the devastation that Typhoon Soudelor brought to Saipan including the island’s produce, the program will be a valuable tool for farmers, and Camacho hopes more farmers will sign up for it.

“We hope that the producers look at this as a risk management tool to cover any losses in income that they may have as a result of the natural disaster that affects their yield,” Camacho said.

New applicants will be under the program for 2016, and their policy will go into effect on Jan. 1. This means that those whose crops got damaged because of Soudelor but are not under the assistance program for 2015 will not be covered.

Camacho said that they don’t usually start this early in signing up farmers but they already received about six new applications.

For 2015, Camacho said they have 11 producers on Saipan who are part of the non-insured disaster crop assistance and will be getting benefits.

“The process is going to take awhile but what we have done already is we have done the initial assessments; we have done all the farm visits for 10 of the 11,” Camacho said.

In terms of benefits, it depends on the crop and their production.

“It really depends on the type of crop, how much of the crop was growing, the stage of the crop, was it in production,” Camacho said.

Farmers who want to apply may schedule an appointment with Camacho by calling (671) 929-4479. He will be in the CNMI until Friday.

Camacho added that farmers can still sign up for the non-insured disaster crop assistance until Dec. 1 and may call (670) 234-0896.