RALEIGH, N.C., May 13, 2015 — The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds all Maryland producers that they need to have their Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification form (AD-1026) on file with their local USDA service center by June 1, 2015. The 2014 Farm Bill required all producers have the form on file by the June 1 deadline to become or remain eligible for crop insurance premium support.

“Most producers already have a certification form on file, however, some such as fruit and vegetable producers and others who are new to crop insurance or who may not participate in other USDA programs may not be aware that they need to do this,” said Robert Connors, director, Raleigh Regional Office. “We have taken many steps recently to broaden participation in the crop insurance program as part of the farm safety net, including offering new policies such as the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, and extending organic price elections to many new crops.”

Producers should visit their local USDA service center and talk with their crop insurance agent before the June 1, 2015, deadline to ask questions, get additional information or learn more about conservation compliance procedures. Producers who file their form by the deadline will be eligible for federal crop insurance premium support during the 2016 reinsurance year, which begins July, 1, 2015.

Additional information about federal crop insurance and the HELC and WC provisions is available on the RMA Farm Bill webpage.

Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can use the RMA Cost Estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at www.rma.usda.gov.

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