By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Last year was one of the wettest springs on record in the state, with devastating effects on those growers in southeastern Ohio.

The Ohio Farm Service Agency (FSA) will offer up to $550 million in disaster assistance for soybean, sweet potato, rice and upland cotton crop losses through the Crop Assistance Program (CAP).
“CAP will provide financial assistance to producers in the qualifying Ohio counties, who are still feeling the effects of the quality and quantity losses to soybean and sweet potatoes caused by excess moisture and related conditions in 2009,” said Steve Mauer, Ohio FSA executive director.

This assistance will be for those producers with land in Ashtabula, Athens, Brown, Gallia, Jefferson, Kale, Lawrence, Morgan, Muskingum and Washington counties in Ohio.

“Is 10 typical for a number of counties that need assistance in a given year? That’s hard to say,” said Christina Reed, public relations outreach specialist for FSA. “I would say it depends on the disaster. Ten is the lowest number of counties that we’ve had in recent years. In 2009, moisture greatly plagued those 10 counties.”
According to Mauer, producers of eligible crops in disaster counties who certify to a 5 percent or greater crop loss in 2009 to excessive moisture or related conditions will receive payment based on a predetermined rate times the planted acres of the crop.

Per-acre payment rates will initially be 75 percent of their CAP payment and once signup is complete, they may receive up to the additional 25 percent.

Mauer said the predetermined payment rates in Ohio are $15.62 per acre for soybeans and $155.41 per acre for sweet potatoes. FSA officials stress that no person or legal entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership) may receive, directly or indirectly, more than $100,000 in CAP benefits. CAP payments will be treated as 2009 revenue under the SURE program.

Some Ohio farmers will likely seek assistance because of drought and excessive rains from this season as well. “As for assistance from the 2010 growing season, we have no idea what to expect just yet, as most of the farmers are still in the field as we speak,” Reed said.