APH Yield Exclusion Available for Pacific Northwest Farmers

SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 15, 2015 — USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), Spokane Regional Office, reminds farmers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington of the deadline to elect the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion option for 2015 spring planted barley.

A provision of the 2014 Farm Bill, APH Yield Exclusion can provide relief to farmers affected by severe weather, including drought. The decision to elect the yield exclusion must be made before the sales closing date for crop insurance coverage on their 2015 crops. The final date for spring barley (a spring-seeded crop) is March 16.

APH Yield Exclusion allows eligible farmers affected by severe weather to receive a higher approved yield on their insurance policies through the federal crop insurance program. Yields can be excluded from farm actual production history when the actuarial documents provide that the county average yield for that crop year is at least 50 percent below the 10 previous consecutive crop years’ average yield.

Additional information about APH Yield Exclusion and maps for eligible commodities is located on RMA’s Farm Bill website.

Federal crop insurance policies are sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance companies and agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA service centers and on the RMA agent locator website. Farmers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2015 crop year. All decisions on crop insurance coverage must be decided on or before the sales closing date.