Agricultural producers who suffered losses, as the result of natural disasters in 2018 and 2019, may be eligible for compensation through a new federal program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency today (Tuesday) rolled out the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program. USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey says the program accounts for quality losses incurred during 2018 and 2019.
“This program is looking at loses in ’18 and ’19 – Excess moisture, wildfires, (and) hurricanes,” Northey says. “WHIP was established to address those, in addition to the important safety net of crop insurance.”
The program is an extension of the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP+), covering qualitive production losses. Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce further speaks to eligible commodities.
“Eligible crops will be those for which federal crop insurance or NAP coverage is available. Also crops that were sold or fed to livestock and are in storage or were in storage may be eligible as well. A producer’s harvested, eligible crop must have had, at least, a five-percent loss reflected through a quality discount or if it’s a forage crop, a nutrient loss to qualify a five-percent quality loss.”
Additionally, “losses must have been the result of a qualifying disaster event (hurricane, excessive moisture, flood, drought, tornado, typhoon, volcanic activity, snowstorm) or related condition that occurred in 2018 and/or 2019, according to Fordyce.
Eligible producers may apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment Program starting Wednesday, January 6th. For additional information on this program, visit farmers.gov/quality-loss.
