Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program

The objective of the SURE program is to provide financial assistance for farm revenue losses due to natural disaster. Assistance is provided from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund (Trust Fund) established under Public Law 110-246. The Secretary of Agriculture (henceforth the Secretary) has the authority to use the Trust Fund to make crop disaster assistance payments to eligible producers on farms in disaster counties whose actual production is less than 50 percent of their normal production. A disaster county means a county included in the geographic area covered by a qualifying natural disaster declaration by the Secretary. SURE is the 2008 Farm Bill's successor to the prior Crop Disaster Programs. SURE is legislated through fiscal year 2011.

An eligible applicant or eligible "producer on a farm", is an individual or entity who assumes the production and market risks associated with the agricultural production of crops or livestock. An individual or entity is a citizen of the United States (U.S.), a resident alien, or a partnership of citizens of the U.S.

The SURE program will provide financial assistance to an eligible producer on a farm who has insurable or noninsurable commodity or agricultural commodity (except livestock) for which the producer on a farm is eligible to obtain a policy or plan of insurance. Benefits are also extended to the Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher who has been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice because of his or her identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities; a beginning farmer or rancher who has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 years and materially and substantially participates in the operation; and limited resource producer with direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than $100,000 in both of the previous two years, adjusted upwards for any general inflation since fiscal year 2004, and if the total household income is at or below the national poverty level for a family of four or less than 50 percent of county median household income in bother of the previous two years.

SURE assistance can provide benefit payments to eligible producers who have suffered eligible crop losses due to a natural disaster. To be eligible for crop loss assistance, a producer must show that the actual production on the farm for at least one crop of economic significance is reduced for at least 10 percent due to disaster, adverse weather, or disaster-related conditions. Payment limitations apply for SURE. For 2008, no person may receive more than $100,000 total for the 2008 program year under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and SURE. For 2009 and subsequent program years, no person or legal entity, excluding joint ventures and general partnerships my receive, directly or indirectly, more than $100,000 total per program year under ELAP, LFP, LIP and SURE. Producers or legal entities whose average adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $2.5 million in crop year 2008 shall not be eligible for benefit payments unless 75 percent or more of the income is from agriculture. For 2009 and subsequent years, the average AGI income cap changes to $500,000 of non-farm income, with no on-farm income cap. SURE assistance will be provided to an eligible producer in the amount equal to 60 percent of the difference between the SURE Guarantee and the total farm revenue. The SURE guarantee for the farm cannot be greater than 90 percent of the total of the normal production of the farm.

An eligible producer must provide a total crop acreage report (FSA-578) including crops on cropland and non-cropland in all counties that the producer has interest. The total farm acreage report includes native and improved grass that will be hayed or grazed, all grazing land and uninsurable land by either crop insurance or NAP coverage and file an AD-1026.

The applicant will submit the required forms to applicants local FSA office. Applications will be reviewed and the award will be distributed based on 60 percent of the difference of the SURE guarantee and total farm revenue calculation. Total farm revenue include estimated crop value, crop insurance indemnities, NAP payments, Market Assistance Loan proceeds, other disaster payments, DCP payments (15% of direct payments, plus all Counter-Cyclical and ACRE payments. To assist farmers and ranches in evaluating their options with SURE, USDA has created a SURE calculator. To utilize the calculator, visit the website www.fsa.usda.gov. The calculator and instructions linked on the FSA website are for informational purposes only. This calculator in no way binds FSA to potential payments under SURE and should not be relied on as the sole source of information to make final management decisions.