The deadline to apply for crop disaster benefits for 2009 is approaching quickly.

Lubbock County USDA Farm Service has announced that the deadline to apply for assistance for 2009 crop losses under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments, or SURE program is July 29th.

To meet eligibility requirements, the farming operation must be physically located in a county that was declared a primary or contiguous disaster county by the Secretary of Agriculture in 2009.

The producers must have suffered at least a 10 percent loss on a crop of economic significance and purchased crop insurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Act or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

Operations based in a county that did not receive a primary or contiguous disaster designation can still qualify for SURE benefits if the actual farm production was less than 50 percent of the normal production on the farm due to a qualifying disaster event.

Producers and legal entities cannot receive more than $100,000 in SURE and other FSA disaster payments. Also, those whose nonfarm income is more than $500,000 are not eligible for SURE payments.

For more information, contact the Lubbock County FSA office at 806-785-5644, Extension 2.

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