06/26/08 Crop Disaster Quality Loss sign up

Washington Ag June 26, 2008 Sign up began this week at Farm Service Agency offices for eligible producers who suffered quality losses to their crops in 2005, 2006 or 2007. USDA Farm Service Agency deputy administrator John Johnson says this is the second half of a series of crop disaster programs approved by congress last year. This is unrelated to the new farm bill. Johnson: "Last fall we began sign up for what we call the quantity loss portion of this program. But also bedded in that legislation was provisions to pay for quality losses. The quality loss provision was very complex. Required very complicated software to be developed. The regulations took longer to craft. We have the quantity sign up out of the way and we have paid out about 1.8 billion dollars to producers. And we are now ready to begin sign up for the quality losses of 2005, 2006 and 2007." Johnson says producers can only apply for crop loss in one of three years available. However, producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple crops as long as the losses occurred in the same crop year. For further details about the quality loss program you can check the FSA website. (www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet) I'm Bob Hoff.