Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) 

coverage are available. Perennial 

trees, bushes, and vines grown

for the commercial production 

of an annual crop and coverable 

under the Tree Assistance Program 

(TAP) are also eligible for WHIP+ 

assistance. WHIP+ also includes 

coverage for maple tap and honey 

bees, and other value loss and 

special provisions apply.

Sign-up opened September 11, 

2019 and continues into 2020.

Sign-up for drought and excessive 

moisture began March 23, 2020 and 

continues into 2020.

Who Is Eligible?

An individual or legal entity that 

assumes ownership share and risk 

of the crop, production and market 

risk associated with the agricultural 

production of the eligible crops, 

trees, bushes or vines on the farm. 

Producers must be able to show, 

with verifiable evidence, that the 

producer had a valid ownership 

share and risk in the crop as well 

as control of the crop acreage on 

which the commodity was grown 

at the time of the disaster. A copy 

of the contract or agreement is 

required for contract growers. 

How to Apply

To apply, producers must file a:

• WHIP+ application 

(form FSA-894) 

Overview

The Additional Supplemental 

Appropriations for Disaster 

Relief Act of 2019 authorized the 

Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity 

Program Plus (WHIP+) to help 

agricultural producers affected by 

natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. 

This includes hurricanes Michael, 

Florence, and Dorian as well as 

other natural disasters, such as 

floods, snowstorms, tornadoes, 

typhoons, volcanic activity and 

wildfires, and related conditions. 

The Further Consolidation 

Appropriations Act signed 

December 20, 2019, added drought 

(for counties designated as D3 or 

higher drought intensity by the U.S. 

Drought Monitor) and excessive 

moisture as additional qualifying 

disaster events for WHIP+.

Programs at a Glance

WHIP+ provides assistance to 

eligible producers who suffered 

losses to crops, trees, bushes and 

vines. Payments are based on several 

factors, including the expected 

value of the crop, the crop that 

was actually harvested, and crop 

insurance coverage and payments, 

among others. Learn more on the 

reverse side of this fact sheet. 

Eligible crops must be planted or 

prevented from being planted and 

include crops for which federal 

crop insurance or Noninsured Crop 

• Notice of loss on all crops, 

trees, bushes and vines 

• Acreage report (form FSA-578).

The acreage report should cover 

total acreage, including tree count 

and prevented planted acres. 

FSA County Committees will 

review prevented planting acres 

for program benefits. Average 

adjusted gross income provisions 

do not apply to WHIP+ payments, 

however conservation compliance 

provisions do. 

Payment Limitation

The payment limitation is $125,000 

per person or legal entity for all three 

crop years: 2018, 2019 and 2020. 

However, if 75 percent of income 

is derived from farming, ranching 

or forestry the per person or legal 

entity per crop year limitation 

is $250,000 for each of the crop 

years: 2018, 2019 and 2020; with 

an overall payment limitation of 

$500,000 for all three crop years. 

FACT SHEET

August 2020

Wildfire and Hurricane 

Indemnity Program-Plus (WHIP+)

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
The payment factor varies by state and commodity 

and is set to reflect the decreased costs incurred 

by producers when the crop is not harvested or is 

prevented from being planted.

Coverage Level WHIP+ Factor

Uninsured 70% 

CAT/ NAP Basic 50/55 75% 

50% - <55% 77.5% 

55% - <60% 80% 

60% - <65% 82.5% 

65% - <70% 85% 

70% - <75% 87.5% 

75% - <80% 92.5% 

> = 80% 95% 

Linkage Requirement

As a condition of payment eligibility, producers must 

obtain crop insurance or NAP, as applicable, on the 

crop paid under WHIP+. Crop insurance or NAP must 

be obtained for the first two available consecutive crop 

years after the enrollment period ends, but no later 

than 2022 and 2023. Crop insurance or NAP policy 

coverage level must be at a level of 60/100 

or equivalent. Linkage does not apply to trees insured 

under an RMA tree policy. 

More Information

For more information, visit farmers.gov/recover. 

Find your local USDA Service Center at farmers.gov/

service-center-locator.

This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; 

other eligibility requirements or restrictions may apply.

Payments

2018 crop year losses will be paid at 100% of the 

calculated payment For the 2019 and 2020 crop 

years, an initial 50% of the calculated payment will 

be issued. After January 1, 2020, if appropriated 

funds remain, an additional payment up to the 

remaining 50% calculated payment will be paid.

Payments for WHIP+ payment are based upon 

the expected value of the crop, the value of the 

crop harvested, the level of insurance coverage (as 

reflected in the WHIP factor), a payment factor and 

insurance payments received.

The WHIP payment formula is:

WHIP+ payment = the expected value of the crop x the 

WHIP factor - the actual value of the crop harvested x 

the payment factor - the NAP payment or crop insurance 

indemnity received by the producer.

The WHIP factor ranges from 70 to 95 percent. The 

WHIP factor is 70 percent for producers who did not 

obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage. The WHIP 

factor is between 75 and 95 percent for producers 

who did obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage. 

Producers who elected the highest coverage level 

will receive 95 percent.

WILDFIRE AND HURRICANE INDEMNITY PROGRAM-PLUS (WHIP+) - OCTOBER 2019

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 2