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WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to improve crop insurance tailored for nursery producers. The Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) Nursery Value Select (NVS) program enables nursery producers to select the dollar amount of coverage that best fits their risk management needs.
Beginning with the 2026 crop year, NVS will offer a new Peak Endorsement Pilot, which allows producers to increase coverage during a designated peak period when the inventory value may be higher than the selected value. This Peak Endorsement Pilot is designed to provide producers with NVS the same coverage that the Nursery Peak Inventory Endorsement offered under the Nursery Field Grown and Container (FG&C) program.
“By expanding the Nursery…
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced up to $2 million is available for cooperative agreements for risk management training programs that support American farmers and ranchers.
This funding provides the needed resources for organizations such as universities, county cooperative extension offices, and nonprofit organizations, to develop education tools to help producers learn how to effectively manage long-term risks and challenges.
Since 2021, RMA has funded more than $17.1 million in risk management education, providing information and training to more than 1.25 million producers at more than 2,200 workshops and presentations across the United States. These investments and efforts…
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is bolstering support for farmers facing crop setbacks by announcing an increase in replant payments for most producers beginning with the 2026 crop year. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to farmers who need to replant insured crops damaged by early insurable causes of loss.
“The enhancement in replant payments underscores the Risk Management Agency’s commitment to sustain agricultural productivity and economic stability,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “Replant payments assist farmers with the financial burden of replanting, offering them a pathway to recover more than the insurance indemnity alone…
USDA Expands Revenue Protection to Flax Producers, Expands Options for Specialty and Organic Growers
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2024 – Flax producers can now benefit from revenue protection, a crop insurance option available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has expanded Small Grains Crop Provisions to now offer revenue protection for flax for the 2025 crop year, which is already offered for barley, rye, wheat and oats.
“Expanding revenue protection for flax producers represents a critical step in strengthening the agricultural safety net,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “By ensuring that flax farmers have access to revenue-based insurance, we provide them with a more reliable tool to manage both market fluctuations and unexpected challenges.”
Revenue protection policies insure…
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed three new members of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors, which oversees the Federal crop insurance program available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FCIC Board of Directors provides guidance to USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) on administering crop insurance.
“RMA’s commitment to representing farmers of all backgrounds who grow a wide variety of crops is reflected by our Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors who each represent a certain sector of agriculture and insurance and use their expertise to ensure that all farmers have risk management options to protect their operations,” said RMA Administrator…
USDA to Issue More than $235 Million to Farmers Hit by Natural Disasters, Including Hurricane Milton
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing payments this week to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, including $143 million in crop insurance indemnities for Florida producers impacted by Hurricane Milton and about $92 million for livestock producers, nationwide, who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses due to 2022 qualifying drought and wildfire. The payments for Milton-impacted Florida producers are for those who have Federal crop insurance coverage through the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement and the Tropical Storm (TS) option. These crop insurance payments are part of USDA’s broader support to help producers after Hurricane Milton. The payments for livestock…
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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 the 2020 hurricane season, and last year, the endorsement was expanded to include the Tropical Storm Option (TS). Under HIP-WI and TS, producers with the endorsement will receive over $233…
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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 of the storm. In…
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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 available for the PRF Hawaii program on the RMA website.
“Producers in Hawaii now have the option to purchase coverage to protect their operation against feed losses due to…
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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 for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land may be eligible for the 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). To participate in LFP producers…