California Ag Network

Tag: Tree Assistance Program

  • California FSA Now Offers Assistance from Losses due to Grapevine Leafroll Disease

    The USDA California Farm Service Agency State Committee has approved Grapevine Leafroll Disease (GLD) under the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Vineyard producers who incurred vineyard losses due to GLD will be able to sign-up under the Tree Assistance Program.

    Producers may sign up for Grapevine Leafroll Disease (GLD) at any time in their local county office. The deadline to apply for losses is 90 days after the loss became apparent to the producer. Producers applying for losses due to GLD must adhere to all TAP eligibility requirements.

    TAP was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 as a permanent disaster program. TAP provides cost share financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters or plant disease which now includes Grapevine Leafroll Disease (GLD).

    Important: TAP requires preliminary inspections, including environmental compliance, prior to ground disturbance. Producers interested in the TAP program are advised to not conduct any ground disturbance (including, but not limited to, removal of vines, trellis and stakes) prior to obtaining permission from the FSA County Executive Director (CED) where the ground is located. Disturbing the ground prior to release by the CED will result in ineligibility for program benefits.

    To qualify for TAP:

    • The orchardists must suffer a qualifying tree loss in excess of 15 percent mortality from GLD, plus an adjustment for normal mortality (3%).
    • The eligible vineyards must have been owned when the GLD occurred; however, eligible growers are not required to own the land on which the eligible vineyards were planted.
    • The owner must provide evidence that trees existed and were lost due to GLD.
    • Receipts must be provided for actual expenses associated with removal, purchase and planting of vineyards.
    • An individual or entity’s average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) cannot exceed $900,000
    • Other program and payment eligibility may apply

     

    If the TAP application is approved, the eligible vineyards must be replaced within 12 months from the date the application is approved.

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

  • USDA-FSA Approves Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome for Natural Disaster Assistance

    Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome has caused a lot of economic injury and heartache to the western pistachio industry over the last several years.  Thankfully, the USDA Farm Service Agency recently announced approval of Bushy Top as a natural disaster qualifying for coverage under the federal Tree Assistance Program for replacement of affected trees.  Watch this brief interview with Richard Matoian from American Pistachio Growers as he explains and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Pistachio Bushy Top Approved for USDA TAP Program

    Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome, New Mexico State University

    On May 31, the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) State Committee approved pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome as a natural disaster, thereby allowing pistachios to be included in USDA’s Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

    This means that eligible growers affected by the Bushy Top Syndrome could receive government assistance for the replacement of their affected trees. The program will be implemented in Fall of 2018 and will be retroactive to 2012.

    Growers from all states affected by Bushy Top Syndrome will be allowed to participate. Like a number of other Federal programs, TAP participation has a number of restrictions, including participation limited to entities with adjusted gross income below the federal cap of $900,000; and cost reimbursement only for the removal and replanting costs of the affected trees, not for the trees themselves.

    American Pistachio Growers (APG) has been diligently working on this issue for over a year attempting to qualify pistachios for this Federal program. We will keep you updated as more details are released.  This is a significant victory for our industry and it was accomplished through the perseverance of APG and our ongoing federal lobbying effort.