NAP. TAP. ELAP. Farmers and ranchers who don’t know what those acronyms represent may want to pay a quick Web visit to the USDA’s Farm Service Agency Web site to learn more about its Disaster Assistance Programs. The site, www.fsa.usda.gov/ca, offers a handy chart that provides a listing of disaster assistance programs for farmers and ranchers, along with a description of the program, eligibility requirements, risk management requirements, payment methods and payment limitations.
Included on the chart are the following programs:
SURE (Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments) — Provides benefits for farm revenue losses.
LFP (Livestock Forage Disaster Program) — Provides benefits for grazingland affected by drought; public grazing land affected by wildfire or drought.
LIP (Livestock Indemnity Payments) — Provides benefits for livestock death losses due to adverse weather.
ELAP (Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-Raised Fish) — Provides emergency relief to these producers.
TAP (Tree Assistance Program) — Provides assistance for tree, vine and bush losses due to adverse weather.
NAP (Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program) — Provides minimal coverage for uninsurable crops.
EM (Emergency Loans) — Provides loans to borrowers who are unable to obtain financing for emergency losses.
For 2009-2011, producers are only eligible for the Disaster Program (SURE, LFP, LIP, ELAP, TAP and NAP) if their non-farm average adjusted income (AGI) does not exceed $500,000. For 2008, AGI rules remain the same as previous years.