Early Season Freeze Affects Many Crops

Rod Elmstrand, Extension Educator, Chisago Co., and Cindy Tong, Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota

According to Rodney Elmstrand, Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota, temperatures were reported to be in the low 20° F range on the morning of Friday, May 19 in east central Minnesota. Losses were reported on soybeans, some corn, and on NAP (Non-insured Crop Insurance Program) crops. Strawberry crops were affected the most because of their stage of development, but blueberry, greenhouse, flower, tomato growers were also affected to name a few.

In order for producers of NAP crops to be eligible for possible disaster assistance, all losses must be reported within 15 days of the loss with their local county Farm Service Agency. Disaster assistance on NAP crops can be fickle, and is subject to possible state and congressional approval. The following minimum requirements must be met:

Five or more producers must report loss of approved crops on separate and distinct farms within the affected county or disaster area
Grower must have incurred at least a 35% loss for that crop in the disaster area
Aggregate acreage in the county or affected area that is at least 320,000 (This is the acreage defined by county or area affected) acres,
Grower's gross revenue does not exceed $2 million,
Aggregate acreage with not less than $80 million total average value for all crops produced

Don't let these requirements scare people off from reporting their losses. The FSA staff will determine whether the minimums are met for possible assistance. Minimum production area size requirements do not apply for the individual producer. So, if you grow a 100-foot row of flowers for the farm market or grow 1000 acres, all are eligible and encouraged to record their losses with FSA.

Please encourage any producer of any size who is raising NAP crops for sale to report their loss. The farmers loss must also exceed half of the expected yield to be eligible for assistance, but again, encourage all producers of NAP crops to report their losses because it tells our FSA agency staff the breadth of the disaster and may help meet the minimum requirements needed for producers qualifying for assistance in a county or area.

Co-Editors:Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, hutch002@tc.umn.edu
Jeanne Ciborowski, IPM Program, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us
Cindy Tong, Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota, ctong@extension.umn.edu
Production Editor: Suzanne Wold, Research Specialist, University of Minnesota, woldx018@tc.umn.edu

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Last Revised June 7, 2000.
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