WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is extending the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for the first phase of the Emergency Relief Program. A new deadline will be announced after the last Phase One applications are mailed and provide at least 30 more days.

Continuing to build on the initial mailing of pre-filled applications in May, the department will continue using existing information in USDA and crop insurance files to send additional pre-filled applications starting this week for potentially eligible Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program participants. Once applications from eligible NAP producers are returned, these producers are expected to receive about $105 million in ERP payments for eligible losses from 2020 and 2021 disasters.

USDA s Farm Service Agency is now mailing pre-filled applications to NAP producers through ERP to offset crop yield and value losses. To receive a relief payment, producers should complete and return the applications by announced deadlines.

Producers are expected to receive assistance direct deposited into their bank account within three business days after they sign and return the prefilled application to the FSA county office and the county offices enters the application into the system.

While most crop insurance customers that may be eligible for ERP Phase One received the pre-filed applications in May, there are some who should expect to receive a form in August including:

— Producers who had an eligible loss in 2020 that had been recorded in the crop insurance records as a 2019 loss (e.g., prevented planting claims); and

— Producers with policies that required additional information before being able to calculate an indemnity for 2021 losses. Policies that required additional information include Supplemental Coverage Option , Enhanced Coverage Option, Stacked Income Protection Plan, Margin Protection Plan or Area Risk Protection Insurance.