News
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced additional assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help producers impacted by Hurricane Helene in the recovery process. USDA is announcing the counties that have triggered for payment under the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement for Hurricane Helene. As a result, Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) have 30 days to issue payments to producers, but AIPs typically issue payments much sooner.
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) first offered HIP-WI for…
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2024 – In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated communities, homes, farms and businesses across parts of the Southeast, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has deployed staff to assist with response and recovery efforts. USDA is also putting in place contingency plans and program flexibilities to ensure farmers, and foresters and communities are able to get the support they need. USDA is sharing information today to help impacted people learn about resources that may be available to them.
On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux traveled to Florida and Georgia with President Biden to assess damage and meet with farmers and residents in the wake…
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds producers in Hawaii that the sales closing date to purchase Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) rainfall index insurance is Dec. 1, 2024, for the 2025 crop year. The PRF program protects livestock producers against feed loss due to lack of precipitation, providing producers on the Big Island of Hawaii with coverage for grazing acres. This expansion was announced earlier this year and is part of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) efforts to increase and enhance insurance options in Hawaii. Policy documents are now…
Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 5, 2024 – Agricultural operations in Ohio have been significantly impacted by recent drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.
USDA Disaster Assistance
Livestock producers who suffered grazing losses…
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the Shellfish insurance program beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage to an additional 27 counties in Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and North Carolina. Additionally, RMA is modifying the program to allow insurance on seeds initially purchased smaller than 4 mm once they reach the minimum insurable size of 4 mm, allowing producers to use existing records for coverage in adjacent program counties, and allowing alternative yield procedures. RMA worked…
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the counties that have triggered for payment under the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement for Hurricane Debby. Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) have 30 days to issue payments to producers. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) first offered HIP-WI for the 2020 hurricane season, and last year, the endorsement was expanded to include the Tropical Storm Option. Under HIP-WI, producers will receive over $200 million in indemnities for hurricane-related losses from Hurricane Debby…
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced policy enhancements to the grapevine insurance program, starting for the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage to vines grafted between six and 12 months, by reducing the grafting period from 12 months to six months. RMA is also expanding coverage to 29 additional counties in California.
“In response to industry feedback, the Risk Management Agency is improving crop insurance for grapevines that will fill a previous gap in coverage for grafted vines,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “The grapevine program was…
WASHINGTON, August 8, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is awarding nearly $4.1 million to organizations and outreach efforts to educate underserved, small-scale, and organic producers on farm risk management and climate-smart farm practices. The funding from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) provides assistance through its Risk Management Education Partnerships for organizations, such as nonprofits and land grant universities, to develop training and resources for producers about risk management options.
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WASHINGTON, July 29, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options to additional crops as well as increasing premium support to make the policy more affordable for producers.
“The Risk Management Agency is continually responding to producer needs and adapting our insurance coverage options to give producers more choices when it comes to managing their risks,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “This expansion is part…
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding crop insurance options for specialty and organic growers beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options by allowing enterprise units by organic farming practice, adding enterprise unit eligibility for several crops, and making additional policy updates. This is the first of several announcements this summer, which will include the expansion of the shellfish policy in the Northeast and new coverage for grape growers in the West and beyond. These expansions and other improvements build on other recent RMA efforts to better serve specialty crop producers and reach a broader group of producers.
“The Risk Management Agency is excited…