USDA Announces New Production and Revenue History Insurance Program for Strawberries in Florida and California

VALDOSTA, Ga., July 24, 2020 — USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced a new Production and Revenue History (PRH) Crop Insurance Program for strawberries in some counties in Florida beginning in the 2021 crop year. The program will expand to California beginning in the 2022 crop year. RMA developed PRH policies for specialty crops to provide revenue coverage in addition to yield coverage. 

Features of the program include:

• A choice of yield, or one of two revenue plans—Revenue Protection and Revenue Protection Plus
• Individualized coverage based on the producer’s personal yield and revenue histories
• Annual revenue reporting requirement in addition to customary production reporting

“This new program for strawberries will give specialty crop producers more insurance options,” said, Davina Lee, Director of RMA’s regional office in Valdosta, Georgia. “Specialty crops are a priority at RMA, and we continue to communicate with producers and other interested parties to identify where there is a need to expand the availability of risk management products to producers.”

The PRH program for strawberries is effective for the 2021 crop year in Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties in Florida.

The 2021 crop year sales closing date for the PRH Strawberry Program in Florida is August 31, 2020. Interested producers should contact a crop insurance agent for further information. More information on sales closing dates and available counties in California will be forthcoming.

Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private insurance agents. A list of insurance agents is available online using the RMA Agent Locator. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov.

RMA is authorizing additional flexibilities due to coronavirus while continuing to support producers, working through Approve Insurance Providers (AIPs) to deliver services, including processing policies, claims, and agreements. RMA staff are working with AIPs and other customers by phone, mail, and electronically to continue supporting livestock insurance coverage for producers. Farmers with livestock insurance questions or needs should continue to contact their insurance agents about conducting business remotely (by telephone or email). More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.