(a) To qualify for assistance, production losses or prevented planting must occur as a result of an eligible cause of loss during the coverage period. Not all causes of loss are eligible causes of loss for all crops or all commodities.

(b) An eligible cause of loss is:

(1) Damaging weather, including, but not limited to:

(i) Drought;

(ii) Hail;

(iii) Excessive moisture;

(iv) Freeze;

(v) Tornado;

(vi) Hurricane;

(vii) Excessive wind;

(viii) Lightning;

(ix) Insufficient chill hours, but only for specific crops and locations for which FSA has determined in advance of a coverage period, based on FSA's review of sufficient scientific evidence that a requisite amount of chill hours is required for the crop to produce and a lack of chill hours is adverse to the crop's production without any regard to any management. In this context, “without regard to any management” means if a crop's inability to produce due to lack of chill hours can be mitigated by any managerial practices, application of chemical, or other management intervention, the lack of chill hours will not be included as an eligible cause of loss for the crop, In cases where FSA makes the decision to include insufficient chill hours as a cause of loss by itself for a crop and location, the crop and location and subsequent crop year coverage period for which the decision will apply will be specified in a list maintained by FSA. If the crop and location is not on that list, then insufficient chill hours can only be an eligible cause of loss if the insufficient chill hours were related to a damaging weather event or an adverse natural occurrence included in paragraphs (b)(1) or (2) of this section; or

(x) Any combination of paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (viii) of this section;

(2) Adverse natural occurrence, including, but not limited to:

(i) Earthquake;

(ii) Flood; or

(iii) Volcanic eruption; or

(3) A condition related to an eligible cause of loss in paragraphs (b)(1) or (2) of this section (in this context, the related condition must result from the damaging weather or adverse natural occurrence; it is not eligible if it occurs on its own) including, but not limited to:

(i) Heat;

(ii) Insect infestation;

(iii) Disease;

(iv) Insufficient chill hours;

(v) Wildfire; or

(vi) Any combination thereof.

(c) The damaging weather, adverse natural occurrence, or related condition as specified in paragraph (b) of this section must occur in the coverage period before or during harvest and directly cause, accelerate, or exacerbate destruction or deterioration of the eligible crop as determined by the county committee.

(d) NAP coverage is provided against only eligible causes of loss. All specified causes of loss must be due to a naturally occurring event during the coverage period. All other causes of loss, including, but not limited to, the following, are not covered:

(1) Negligence, mismanagement, or wrongdoing by the NAP covered producer or anyone else;

(2) Failure to follow recognized good farming practices for the eligible crop;

(3) Water contained or released by any governmental, public, or private dam or reservoir project, if an easement exists on the acreage affected for the containment or release of the water;

(4) Failure or breakdown of the irrigation equipment facilities, unless the failure or breakdown is due to an eligible cause of loss. If damage is due to an eligible cause of loss, the producer must make all reasonable efforts to restore the equipment or facilities to proper working order within a reasonable amount of time unless FSA determines it is not practical to do so. Cost will not be considered when determining whether it is practical to restore the equipment or facilities;

(5) Failure to carry out a good irrigation practice for the covered crop, if applicable;

(6) Any cause of loss that results in damage that is not evident or would not have been evident during the NAP coverage period. Even though FSA may not inspect the damaged crop until after the end of the NAP coverage period, only damage due to eligible causes that would have been evident during the NAP coverage period will be covered;

(7) Except for lack of chill hours as specified in paragraph (b)(1)(viii) of this section, normal variance of temperatures from average normal temperatures including, but not limited to, cyclic yield variations that occur for a crop that are not causes of loss included in paragraphs (b)(1) or (2) of this section;

(8) Any managerial decision to attempt to grow or produce a crop in an area that is not suited for successful commercial production of the eligible NAP crop as determined by FSA;

(9) Failure of the producer to reseed to the same crop during the same planting period in those areas and under such circumstances where it is customary to do so;

(10) Except for tree crops and perennials and as provided for in §1437.201, inadequate irrigation resources at time of planting;

(11) Except as specified in §1437.303, a loss of inventory or yield of aquaculture (including ornamental fish), floriculture, or ornamental nursery stemming from drought or any failure to provide water, soil, or growing media to such crop for any reason;

(12) Any failure to provide a controlled environment or exercise good nursery practices when such controlled environment or practices are a condition of eligibility under this part;

(13) Except as provided for mollusks in §1437.303, any alleged or actual loss of inventory or missing non-containerized inventory resulting from a managerial decision not to seed or raise the eligible NAP crop in containers, net pens, or wire baskets, on ropes, or using similar devices;

(14) For crops grown using organic farming practices, failure to comply with organic standards;

(15) Contamination by application or drift of prohibited substances onto land on which crops are grown using organic farming practices;

(16) Weeds; or

(17) Failure to harvest or market the crop due to lack of a sufficient plan or resources.

(e) The lack of an eligible cause of loss during a coverage period is not a compliance matter or issue. NAP will not provide assistance for crops that do not suffer from an eligible cause of loss during a coverage period. The relief provisions of these regulations and of 7 CFR part 718 cannot be used to pay producers of crops that did not suffer from an eligible cause of loss during the coverage period.

[79 FR 74576, Dec. 15, 2014, as amended at 85 FR 12220, Mar, 2, 2020]