Title 7

SECTION 760.1517

760.1517 Requirement to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage.

§ 760.1517 Requirement to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage.

(a) For the first 2 consecutive crop years for which crop insurance or NAP coverage is available after the enrollment period for 2017 WHIP or WHIP+ ends, subject to paragraph (c) of this section, a participant who receives payment under this subpart for a crop loss in a county must obtain:

(1) For an insurable crop, crop insurance with at least a 60 percent coverage level for that crop in that county; or

(2) For a NAP eligible crop:

(i) NAP coverage with a coverage level of 60 percent, if available for the applicable crop year, or NAP catastrophic coverage if NAP coverage is not offered at a 60 percent coverage level for that crop year.

(ii) Participants who exceed the average adjusted gross income limitation for NAP payment eligibility 1 for the applicable crop year may meet the purchase requirement specified in paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section by purchasing Whole-Farm Revenue Protection crop insurance coverage, if eligible, or paying the NAP service fee and premium even though the participant will not be eligible to receive a NAP payment due to the average adjusted gross income limit but will be eligible for the WHIP payment.

1 See §§ 1400.500(a) and 1400.1(a)(4) of this title.

(b) For the first 2 consecutive insurance years for which crop insurance is available after the enrollment period for 2017 WHIP ends, subject to paragraph (c) of this section, any participant who receives 2017 WHIP payments for a tree, bush, or vine loss must purchase a plan of insurance for the tree, bush, or vine with at least a 60 percent coverage level.

(c) The final crop year to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage to meet the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section is the:

(1) 2021 crop year for 2017 WHIP payment eligibility, except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section;

(2) 2023 crop year for:

(i) WHIP+ payment eligibility; and

(ii) 2017 WHIP payment eligibility for losses due to Tropical Storm Cindy, losses of peach and blueberry crops in calendar year 2017 due to extreme cold, and blueberry productivity losses in calendar year 2018 due to extreme cold and hurricane damage in calendar year 2017.

(d) If a producer fails to obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage as required in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the producer must reimburse FSA for the full amount of 2017 WHIP payment or WHIP+ payment plus interest that the producer received for that crop, tree, bush, or vine loss. A producer will only be considered to have obtained NAP coverage for the purposes of this section if the participant applied and payed the requisite NAP service fee and paid any applicable premium by the applicable deadline and completed all program requirements, including filing an acreage report as may be required under such coverage agreement.

[83 FR 33801, July 18, 2018, as amended 84 FR 48532, Sept. 13, 2019]

---