Dodie Stillman

Farmers and ranchers rely on crop insurance to protect themselves from disasters and unforeseen events, but not all crops are insurable through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency. The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides producers another option to obtain coverage against disaster for these crops. NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insured crops impacted by natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses, or prevents crop planting.
Commercially produced crops and agricultural commodities for which crop insurance is not available are generally eligible for NAP. Eligible crops include those grown specifically for food, fiber, livestock consumption, biofuel or biobased products, or be commodities such as value loss crops like Christmas trees and ornamental nursery, honey, maple sap, and many others. Contact your FSA office to see which crops are eligible in your state and county.
Eligible causes of loss include drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes, earthquake, flood. These events must occur during the NAP policy coverage period, before or during harvest, and the disaster must directly affect the eligible crop. For guidance on causes of loss not listed, contact your local FSA county office.
Interested producers must apply for coverage using FSA form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage,” and pay the applicable service fee at the FSA office where their farm records are maintained. These must be filed by the application closing date. Closing dates vary by crop, so it is important to contact your local FSA office as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss an application closing date.
At the time of application, each producer will be provided a copy of the NAP Basic Provisions, which describes how NAP works and all the requirements you must follow to maintain NAP coverage. NAP participants must provide accurate annual reports of their production in non-loss years to ensure their NAP coverage is beneficial to their individual operation.
Producers are required to pay service fees which vary depending on the number of crops and number of counties your operation is located in. The NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Premiums also apply when producers elect higher levels of coverage with a maximum premium of $15,750 per person or legal entity depending on the maximum payment
limitation that may apply to the NAP covered producer. The service fee can be waived for beginning, qualifying veteran, and limited resource farmers and rancher., These farmers and ranchers can also receive a 50 percent reduction in the premium.
For more detailed information on NAP, download the NAP Fact Sheet. To get started with NAP, we recommend you contact your local USDA service center.

New Programs Will Provide Additional Pandemic and Natural Disaster Assistance for 2020 and 2021; Deadline Announced for Previous Emergency Relief

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2022 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced plans for additional emergency relief and pandemic assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is preparing to roll out the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two as well as the new Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), which are two programs to help offset crop and revenue losses for producers.  USDA is sharing early information to help producers gather documents and train front-line staff on the new approach.

“We have worked diligently to help agricultural producers bounce back from devastating natural disasters as well as the coronavirus pandemic through an extensive suite of programs,” said Vilsack. “No matter how well we design these targeted efforts, we often find that some producers fall through the cracks or were harmed more severely than their neighbors. These new programs apply a holistic approach to emergency assistance – an approach not focused on any one disaster event or commodity but rather one focused on filling gaps in assistance for agricultural producers who have, over the past few years, suffered losses from natural disasters and the pandemic.”

ERP Phase Two will assist eligible agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses, measured through decreases in revenue, due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture and qualifying droughts occurring in calendar years 2020 and 2021.

PARP will assist eligible producers of agricultural commodities who experienced revenue decreases in calendar year 2020 compared to 2018 or 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PARP will help address gaps in previous pandemic assistance, which was targeted at price loss or lack of market access, rather than overall revenue losses.

Emergency Relief Program Phase Two

ERP is authorized under the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, which includes $10 billion in assistance to agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021.

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Phase Two builds on ERP Phase One, which was rolled out in May 2022 and has since paid more than $7.1 billion to producers who incurred eligible crop losses that were covered by federal crop insurance or Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

ERP Phase Two includes producers who suffered eligible losses but may not have received program benefits in Phase One. To be eligible for Phase Two, producers must have suffered a loss in allowable gross revenue as defined in forthcoming program regulations in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event.

Eligible crops include both traditional insurable commodities and specialty crops that are produced in the United States as part of a farming operation and are intended to be commercially marketed. Like other emergency relief and pandemic assistance programs, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) continues to look for ways to simplify the process for both staff and producers while reducing the paperwork burden. The design of ERP Phase Two is part of that effort.

In general, ERP Phase Two payments are expected to be based on the difference in certain farm revenue between a typical year of revenue as will be specified in program regulations for the producer and the disaster year.  ERP Phase Two assistance is targeted to the remaining needs of producers impacted by qualifying natural disaster events, while avoiding windfalls or duplicative payments. Details will be available when the rule is published later this year.

Deadline for Emergency Relief Program Phase One 

Producers who are eligible for assistance through ERP Phase One have until Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, to contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center to receive program benefits.  Going forward, if any additional ERP Phase One prefilled applications are generated due to corrections or other circumstances, there will be a 30-day deadline from the date of notification for that particular application.

Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program   

PARP is authorized and funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

To be eligible for PARP, an agricultural producer must have been in the business of farming during at least part of the 2020 calendar year and had a certain threshold decrease in allowable gross revenue for the 2020 calendar year, as compared to 2018 or 2019. Exact details on the calculations and eligibility will be available when the forthcoming rule is published.

How Producers Can Prepare 

ERP Phase Two and PARP will use revenue information that is readily available from most tax records. FSA encourages producers to have their tax documents from the past few years and supporting materials ready, as explained further below. Producers will need similar documentation to what was needed for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Phase Two, where a producer could use 2018 or 2019 as the benchmark year relative to the disaster year.

In the coming weeks, USDA will provide additional information on how to apply for assistance through ERP Phase Two and PARP. In the meantime, producers are encouraged to begin gathering supporting documentation including:
 Schedule F (Form 1040); and
 Profit or Loss from Farming or similar tax documents for tax years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 for ERP and for calendar years 2018, 2019 and 2020 for PARP.

Producers should also have, or be prepared to have, the following forms on file for both ERP and PARP program participation:

 Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet (as applicable to the program participant);
 Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity;
 Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable); and
 Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification.

Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center.

In addition to the forms listed above, underserved producers are encouraged to register their status with FSA, using Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, as certain existing permanent and ad-hoc disaster programs provide increased benefits or reduced fees and premiums.

More Information 

Through proactive communications and outreach, USDA will keep producers and stakeholders informed as program eligibility, application and implementation details unfold.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers two programs that have specific safety net benefits for producers of honeybees and honey. The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) assist producers when disasters impact honey production or damage or destroy colonies, hives or honeybee feed.
NAP is designed to reduce financial losses when natural disasters result in lower yields or crop losses, including honey. NAP coverage is equivalent to catastrophic insurance, meaning it covers up to 50 percent of a producer’s normal yield (must have at least a 50 percent loss) at 55 percent of the average market price. The 2018 Farm Bill reinstates higher levels of coverage, from 50 to 65 percent of expected production in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Producers of organics and crops marketed directly to consumers also may exercise the “buy-up” option to obtain NAP coverage of 100 percent of the average market price at the coverage levels of between 50 and 65 percent of expected production.
The NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.  You must apply for NAP coverage by Dec. 31 prior to the year for which you’re seeking coverage.
ELAP covers colony losses, honeybee hive losses (the physical structure) and honeybee feed losses in instances where the colony, hive or feed has been destroyed by a natural disaster or, in the case of colony losses, because of Colony Collapse Disorder. Colony losses must be in excess of normal mortality.
Both the NAP and ELAP programs require you to report the number of colonies you have in production to FSA by Jan. 2, 2023. You must notify FSA within 30 calendar days of changes in the total number of colonies or when honeybees are moved to another county. 
For both programs, you must notify FSA within 15 calendar days of when a loss occurs or from when the loss is apparent.
To learn more about programs for honey and honeybee producers, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.

Even the royal bees are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. In a new report from The Daily Mail, royal beekeeper John Chapple revealed that he was required to inform the royal hive at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House of Queen Elizabeth’s passing in accordance with a tradition that dates back centuries. “I’m at the hives now and it is traditional when someone dies that you go to the hives and say a little prayer and put a black ribbon on the hive,” Chapple said. In addition to informing them of the Queen’s death, the official beekeeper also alerted the bees of their new master, King Charles III. Chapple explained the process to the publication, saying, “You knock on each hive and say, ‘The mistress is dead, but don’t you go. Your master will be a good master to you.’” According to The Daily Mail, this tradition stems from a superstition that if the bees are not informed of the change in monarch, then they might stop producing honey, or even die. Chapple, who has been the royal beekeeper for 15 years, was clearly not going to be the one to let this custom fade away. “I was the Queen’s beekeeper and hopefully now I’ll get the job of being the King’s beekeeper,” he added. In the past, it’s been revealed that the palace has enough bees to provide the family with a year’s supply of honey. On World Bee Day in 2020, the official royal family Instagram shared a post that explained, “Buckingham Palace is home to four Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) hives. The bees live on an island in the Palace gardens and forage on a wealth of nectar plants, both native and exotic.” It added, “During the season, the bees produce enough honey for the palace to be self-sufficient, with over 200 jars produced [in 2019]. The honey is used by Palace chefs throughout the year at Garden Parties and receptions, where it is served in honey madeleines, as a filling for chocolate truffles and in honey and cream sponge.” Let’s hope the bees understood Chapple’s message loud and clear. https://www.yahoo.com/video/queen-elizabeth-bees-had-informed-175200453.html

As AHPA continues to work on behalf of all beekeepers, one of our initiatives is advocating with the FDA in Washington D.C. to update honey labeling guidelines.  As part of this effort, we need your help to collect pictures of honey labels from around the United States.  Our goal is primarily to find honey that is mislabeled according to current FDA guidelines.  Secondarily, we need examples of any labels which misrepresent country of origin or are purposefully confusing to consumers so that we can advocate for positive changes and updates. Search the App Store or Google Play for “AHPA app”.  We need to collect as many pictures from honey on the store shelf as possible.  Please take a few minutes to help collect this data.

May 11, 2022 News Release 22-058 Inv. No. 731-TA-1560-1562 and 731-TA-1564 (Final) Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819 Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam Injures U.S. Industry, Says USITC The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of raw honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value. Chair Jason E. Kearns, Vice Chair Randolph J. Stayin, and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative. As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, Commerce will issue antidumping duty orders on imports of this product from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam. The Commission made a negative critical circumstances finding with regard to imports of this product from Argentina. The Commission made an affirmative critical circumstances finding with regard to imports of this product from Vietnam. The Commission’s public report Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam (Inv. Nos. 731-TA-1560-1562 and 731-TA-1564 (Final), USITC Publication 5327, May 2022) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations. The report will be available by June 20, 2022; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp. UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20436 FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, and Vietnam Investigation Nos.: 731-TA-1560-1562, 1564 (Final) Product Description:  Honey is a sweet, viscous fluid produced from the nectar of plants and flowers which is collected by honeybees, transformed, and combined with substances of their own, and stored and left in honeycombs to mature and ripen. Raw honey is honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling and skimming, or straining. Status of Proceedings: Type of investigation:  Final antidumping duty investigations. Petitioners:  American Honey Producers Association (“AHPA”), Bruce, South Dakota; and Sioux Honey Association (“SHA”), Sioux City, Iowa. USITC Institution Date:  Wednesday, April 21, 2021. USITC Hearing Date:  Tuesday, April 12, 2022. USITC Vote Date:  Wednesday, May 11, 2022. USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Tuesday, May 31, 2022. U.S. Industry in 2020: Number of U.S. producers:  approximately 30,000 to 60,000. Location of producers’ plants: North Dakota, South Dakota, California, Texas, Montana, Florida, Minnesota, and Michigan Production and related workers:  1,360. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments:  $302 million. Apparent U.S. consumption:  $690 million. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption:  42.8 percent. U.S. Imports in 2020: Subject imports:  $296 million. Nonsubject imports:  $93 million. Leading import sources:  Argentina, Brazil, India, Vietnam. https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2022/er0511ll1935.htm

What does this mean for beekeepers? The decision will be transmitted to the Commerce Department, which will issue antidumping duty orders shortly. In addition, the Commission reached an affirmative critical circumstances determination against Vietnam. This means that U.S. Customs will collect antidumping duties on entries going back an additional 90 days prior to the preliminary antidumping duty determination—from August 28, 2020, forward. This is an important additional finding, and one that the Commission rarely makes. These results should continue to ensure that the American honey producer gets the fair prices they deserve.

We truly appreciate all of the donations that we have received to cover legal fees. The good fight isn’t over yet, however, and we still need your support. To donate to the Antidumping Fund, please contact Cassie Cox: cassie@ahpanet.com 281-900-9740 Or donate on our secure website: https://www.ahpanet.com/donations-1

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced that U.S. honey first handlers and importers have approved continuing the National Honey Board research and promotion program.

In the referendum, 73.8% of first handlers and importers voting, who represented 85.5% of the volume of honey or honey products voting in the referendum, were in favor of continuing the program. Over 50% of the first handlers and importers voting and over 50% of the volume voting in the referendum were required for the program to continue.

To be eligible to participate in the referendum, first handlers and importers had to handle or import at least 250,000 pounds of honey or honey products during the representative period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2021, and be subject to assessments under the program.

The Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order, which has been administered by the National Honey Board since 2008, requires USDA to conduct a referendum every seven years to determine whether the industry is in favor of continuing the program. For the program to continue, first handlers and importers had to approve the program by a majority of handlers and importers voting in the referendum, who also represent a majority of the volume represented in the referendum.

The honey research and promotion program is authorized under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. The program was developed to administer an effective and coordinated program of generic promotion, consumer information and related research designed to drive consumption of honey and honey products in the U.S.

For more information about the National Honey Board, visit the National Honey Board AMS webpage page or visit their website at honey.com.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/content/honey-industry-votes-continue-research-and-promotion-program

Food Handler’s Course – need your Food Handler’s Certification for your honey sales in Texas? Texas A&M AgriLife is offering a virtual course, November 3, 2022, 6-8pm, for $20. This certification is good for 2 years!

This class is geared for those who want or need that certification to sell Honey in Texas (with the new rules/laws by DSHS). Honey producers are NOT REQUIRED to have a this certification, but anyone selling honey/honey products under Cottage Food laws IS required to have this. DSHS encourages everyone (even beekeepers) to go through the course, but beekeepers are not required to do so. Please pre-register at Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions this is also where you will receive information for the course!



Please mail $20 payment to:

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Attn: Angie Gutierrez
3355 Cherry Ridge Suite 212
San Antonio, TX 78230

Questions? Contact Angie at 210-631-0400 | aogutierrez@ag.tamu.edu

Keystone, Colo., August 22, 2022 — The Honey Bee Health Coalition unveiled the 8th Edition of the Tools for Varroa Management Guide today. The guide provides information on the latest tools and options for beekeepers in the USA and Canada to keep bees healthy and manage varroa mites, which spread disease within and among honey bee colonies.

The full guide is offered free of charge at the Honey Bee Health Coalition’s Website: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/resources/varroa-management/

Want to get your hands on some of the 50 gallons of Texas A&M Aggie Honey?

Dr. Juliana Rangel is an associate professor of apiculture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Entomology. In addition to teaching students about honey bees and beekeeping, she runs Texas A&M’s Honey Bee Lab.

There, researchers like Rangel are studying the factors that affect honey bee health. And there are many – pesticides, landscape changes, poor nutrition and sick queens, to start. They’re also looking into a mite that weakens the bees and transmits associated viruses. Varroa mites are the number one problem faced by honey bees today, Rangel said.

Rangel and her students investigate these issues at the laboratory located at Texas A&M’s RELLIS Campus. In addition to the research projects run by graduate students, the Janice and John G. Thomas Honey Bee Facility is also the site of honey harvesting and extraction each year.

Read more: https://today.tamu.edu/2022/08/20/aggies-working-to-protect-one-of-natures-most-critical-species-the-honey-bee/