St. Paul, MN, September 1, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is enhancing crop insurance programs for cherries, which will begin in crop year 2022. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is making changes to the Actual Revenue History (ARH) Sweet Cherry Pilot program and Tart Cherry for Processing Pilot program.

“We like to tell agricultural producers, ‘We listen to you,’” RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy said. “These changes to cherry crop insurance will provide a greater level of coverage, and they’re based on feedback from those producing our nation’s cherries.”

Specific changes include:

• Extending the end of insurance for revenue losses to accommodate producers in Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin who may receive final settlement prices later in the year. This change will extend the end of insurance from January 15 to March 1 to help ensure producers may use their actual price when determining claims.
• Providing more accurate coverage for canner types of processing sweet cherries in Michigan by recognizing it as a distinct processing type that often receives a higher price than briner and other processing types.

The ARH Sweet Cherry Pilot program is available in California, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, and producers purchased 1,764 policies to protect more than $480 million in liabilities in 2020. The ARH Tart Cherry for Processing Pilot program is available in Michigan, New York, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, and producers purchased 187 policies to protect $36 million in liabilities in 2020.

More Information

The number of agricultural producers who purchase crop insurance for their specialty and organic crops continues to climb, which USDA attributes to its work with producers and agricultural groups in recent years to create new crop insurance options, to expand and improve current options like grape insurance. Learn more in our August 26, 2021 news release.

RMA staff are working with crop insurance companies and other customers to support crop insurance coverage for producers. Farmers with crop insurance questions or needs should contact their insurance agents about conducting business remotely (by telephone or email). More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

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. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov. 

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