USDA Announces New Crop Insurance Program for Pomegranates in California

DAVIS, CA, Oct. 27, 2022 – Pomegranate producers in California now have more crop insurance and risk management options. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Risk Management Agency (RMA) announce the launch of a new Pomegranate crop insurance program that will be offered beginning in the 2023 crop year. The new program will include coverage for weather related perils and will be available in eight counties in California’s Central Valley.

“We are excited to offer this new coverage to pomegranate producers who have been asking for options to protect their yield risk,” said Marcia Bunger, RMA Administrator. “California is such an agriculturally dynamic state and we want to make sure that we continuously improve and increase the risk management options for our producers to help them with their operations.”

Features of the Pomegranate crop insurance program include:

• Actual Production History plan coverage for irrigated fresh and processing (juice and aril) production.
• Coverage for standard weather perils.
• Coverage levels between 50 and 85 percent and catastrophic coverage will be available.
• Quality adjustment for fruit not sold as fresh.

The new Pomegranate crop insurance program is available in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties. See map here.

The first sales closing date for the 2023 crop year is December 31, 2022. The sales closing date for the 2024 and subsequent crop years will be November 20, 2023. Producers who are interested should contact their agent for details and to understand what information they will need by the sales closing date. Full details about the Pomegranate crop insurance program will be available on the USDA's RMA website by October 31, 2022.

More Information

Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and strengthens the rural economy. Producers may select from several coverage options, including yield coverage, revenue protection, and area risk policies. Additional information can be found on the Actuarial Information Browser page on the RMA website.

Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available online using 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.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under 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 usda.gov.

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