Overview

The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to 

provide financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery 

tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and 

vines damaged by natural disasters, including disease.

TAP is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Huanglongbing (Citrus Greening)

Citrus greening, also called Huanglongbing (HLB), or yellow dragon 

disease, is one of the more serious diseases of citrus. This bacterial 

disease is thought to have originated in China in the early 1900s. 

The disease is primarily spread by two species of psyllid insects. One 

species, the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, has been present in 

Florida since 1998. There are three strains of the bacteria. The Asian 

strain, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, was found in Florida in 

early September 2005. Citrus greening disease is a threat to the U.S. 

citrus industry. Other than tree removal, there is no effective control 

once a tree is infected and there is no known cure for the disease. 

Infected trees may produce misshapen, unmarketable, bitter fruit, 

reducing the quantity and quality of citrus fruits, producing fruit 

that is unsuitable for sale as fresh fruit or for juice, and eventually 

rendering infected trees useless. In areas of world affected by citrus 

greening the average productive lifespan of citrus trees has dropped 

from 50 or more years to 15 or less. The trees in the orchards usually 

die three to five years after becoming infected and require removal 

and replanting. For more information, visit the USDA Animal Plant 

Health Inspection Service at aphis.usda.gov.

Eligible Tree Types

Florida was approved under TAP to recognize citrus greening as 

an eligible cause of loss. Eligible orchard or citrus trees, bushes 

and vines are those from which an annual crop is produced for 

commercial purposes. Nursery trees include ornamental, fruit, nut 

and Christmas trees produced for commercial sale. Trees used for 

pulp or timber are ineligible.

Eligible Losses

To be considered an eligible loss:

• Eligible trees, bushes or vines must 

have been lost as a result of natural 

disaster;

• The individual stand must have 

sustained a mortality loss in excess 

of 15 percent after adjustment for 

normal mortality to be determined 

based on:

• Each eligible disaster event, except 

for losses due to plant disease; 

and

• For plant disease, the time period 

as determined by the FSA for 

which the stand is infected.

• The loss could not have been 

prevented through reasonable and 

available measures;

• The loss, and if applicable, damage, 

must be visible and obvious to the 

FSA representative; if the loss, and 

if applicable, damage, is no longer 

visible, FSA may accept other loss 

evidence that the agency determines 

is reasonable; and

• FSA may require information from a 

qualified expert to determine extent 

of loss in the case of plant disease or 

insect infestation.

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Tree Assistance Program-Florida Citrus Greening

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

FACTSHEET • APRIL 2021 fsa.usda.gov
TREE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-FLORIDA CITRUS GREENING 2

Losses Due to Huanglongbing (Citrus Greening) in 

Florida for Citrus Growers

Citrus growers in Florida who sustain mortality losses 

due to citrus greening must meet the eligible loss 

criteria above. Since citrus greening is a disease, 

mortality related to citrus greening may be assessed 

over a six-year period. The loss period due to citrus 

greening begins when the grower first recognizes 

the disease in the stand, and ends when an infected 

tree becomes either biologically dead or no longer 

commercially viable. Under the Florida request as 

approved, citrus growers are allowed to choose one of 

the following options for TAP participation:

Option 1: Apply for TAP during any year in which the 

stand sustained a mortality loss in excess of 15 percent 

after adjustment for normal mortality. If the grower 

chooses this option, the grower would contact their FSA 

administrative county to report the percentage of trees 

they wished to replace prior to tree removal. An FSA 

representative will perform a field visit to verify the 

actual loss.

Option 2: If tree mortality of 15 percent (after 

adjustment for normal mortality) has not been met, the 

grower may accumulate mortality over multiple year 

(not to exceed a total of six) and apply for TAP at that 

time. Growers should contact their FSA county office 

to report greening. Further, growers are required to 

document annually (up to six years) the total number of 

lost trees.

Although TAP allows producers to request assistance 

when multiple losses from subsequent disaster events 

occur, growers who receive a TAP payment due to 

citrus greening will not be eligible for additional TAP 

payments on the resets (newly planted trees) until they 

have reached the age of maturity (six years of age).

Citrus Greening Best Management Practices

Because it is in the best interest of the citrus industry 

for growers to follow best management practices in 

maintaining their groves in an effort to slow the spread 

of citrus greening, citrus growers must be prepared to 

show documentation of best management practices 

used to reduce the impact of citrus greening.

Eligible Producers

To qualify for TAP, orchardists, citrus and nursery tree 

growers must:

• Have suffered qualifying tree, bush or vine losses in 

excess of 15 percent mortality (adjusted for normal 

mortality) from an eligible natural disaster for the 

individual stand;

• Have owned the eligible trees, bushes and vines 

when the natural disaster occurred, but eligible 

growers are not required to own the land on which 

eligible trees, bushes and vines are planted; and

• Replace eligible trees, bushes and vines within

• 12 months from the date the application is 

approved.

Acreage Limitations

For losses that occurred prior to December 31, 2016, 

the cumulative total quantity of acres planted to trees, 

bushes or vines for which a producer can receive TAP 

payments cannot exceed 500 acres annually.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 increased the 

cumulative total quantity of acres planted to trees, 

bushes, or vines for which an eligible orchardist or 

nursery tree grower can receive TAP payments from 

500 acres annually to 1,000 acres annually for losses 

that occurred on or after January 1, 2017.

FACTSHEET • APRIL 2021
TREE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-FLORIDA CITRUS GREENING 3

Payment Limitation and Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

For crop years 2012 through December 31, 2016, no 

person or legal entity, excluding a joint venture or 

general partnership, may receive, directly or indirectly, 

more than $125,000 total in payments under TAP.

For losses that occurred on or after January 1, 2017, 

there is no payment limitation for TAP.

In applying the limitation on average adjusted gross 

income, an individual or entity is ineligible for payment 

under TAP if the average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) 

of the individual or entity exceeds $900,000.

Direct attribution provisions apply to TAP for 2011 

and subsequent years. Under direct attribution, 

any payment to a legal entity will be considered (for 

payment limitation purposes) to be a payment to 

persons or legal entities with an interest in the legal 

entity or in a sub-entity.

Payment Calculation

For tree, bush or vine replacement, replanting and/or 

rehabilitation, the payment calculation is the lesser of 

the following:

• 65 percent of the actual cost of replanting, in 

excess of 15 percent mortality (adjusted for normal 

mortality), and, if applicable, for damaged trees,

• 50 percent of the actual cost of rehabilitation, in 

excess of 15 percent damage or mortality (adjusted 

for normal tree damage and mortality); or

• The maximum eligible amount established for the 

practice by FSA.

The 2018 Farm Bill increased the reimbursement 

amount for applicants who meet the definition of a 

beginning or veteran farmer or rancher. The payment 

calculation is the lesser of the following:

• 75 percent of the actual cost of replanting, in 

excess of 15 percent mortality (adjusted for normal 

mortality), and, where applicable, 75 percent of the 

actual cost of rehabilitation, in excess of 15 percent 

damage or mortality (adjusted for normal tree 

damage and mortality); or

• The maximum eligible amount established for the 

practice by FSA.

Enrollment in TAP

The following table provides the final dates to submit a 

TAP application and supporting documentation:

DATE OF LOSS FINAL DATE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Calendar year 

2017 and 

subsequent 

years

Later of 60 days after (date regulation 

is published in the Federal Register) or 

within 90 calendar days of the:

• disaster event; or

• date the loss is apparent to 

the producer.

For More Information

This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; other 

eligibility requirements or restrictions may apply. To 

find more information about FSA disaster assistance 

programs, visit farmers.gov or contact your local FSA 

office. To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/

service-center-locator.

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

FACTSHEET • APRIL 2021