Steve Maurer, State Executive Director for Ohio's Farm Service Agency is reminding producers to report the acreage to your local FSA office within 15 days of the final planting date of the crop, when bad weather prevents planting or damages crops.  This applies to all crops, whether covered by crop insurance, not covered by insurance, or covered by FSA's Non-insured Assistance Program.  Final planting dates vary among counties and crop types.

Producers who have their crops insured through a private crop insurance company should contact the insurance agent immediately and advise them of the damaged crops.  Additionally, a CCC-576, Notice of Loss Application, must be completed in person at your local FSA office, with your prevented and/or failed acres reported.

For those crops covered under FSA's NAP, producers should immediately contact their local FSA office to report the acres and file a CCC-576, Notice of Loss Application.

"Producers with NAP coverage should report their losses within 15 calendar days of crop damage from natural disaster, so the loss can be appraised and production counted before the crop is put into another use, abandoned or destroyed," says Maurer.

Crops not covered with a private insurance or NAP policy should still be reported to the local FSA office, and producers should file a Notice of Loss Application.  This will provide FSA with a historical record of your crop should disaster assistance become available.

For more information about reporting prevented planting or failed acres, contact your local FSA office.