Blanco County Farm Bureau S&T Adrian Schulze urges all Blanco County farmers ranchers to visit with the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to make sure they are in compliance with the new rules regarding disaster assistance eligibility.

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 requires producers who wish to participate in the new disaster programs to have crop insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance (NAP) coverage for the land for which assistance is being requested.

The FSA will allow producers who would be otherwise ineligible for the new disaster assistance programs to become eligible by paying a “buy-in” fee for the program, as authorized by the new farm policy.

“Our members need to be aware of the Sept. 16 sign-up deadline to be eligible for the disaster assistance program for 2008,” Schulze said.

The buy-in fee for 2008 eligibility only for either the catastrophic risk protection insurance (CAT) or NAP is $100 per crop, but not more than $300 per producer per administrative county.

For more information on disaster programs offered through the FSA, visit your county’s USDA Service Center or log on to www.fsa.usda.gov.