USDA Expands Access to Crop Insurance for Pistachio Farmers

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., August 28, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it is updating its Pistachio crop insurance program to provide coverage to producers with less than four years of production history. The newly expanded pistachio program offers producers a broader scope of protection and was developed in response to feedback from the American Pistachio Growers.

“We value feedback from producers and are always looking for ways to make resources as effective as possible for as many as possible,” said James Bellmon, RMA Regional Director in Oklahoma City. “This update to the Pistachio crop insurance program is a great example of that. It allows us to strengthen the program by broadening its reach and aligning it to the needs of producers.”

The Pistachio program was first made available for the 2012 crop year and has continued to provide producers with protection against yield losses for weather, natural, and environmental perils. This new update offers insurance for pistachio producers with less than 4 years of production records.

The program is currently available in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. The sales closing date for the 2024 crop year is December 31, 2023.

More Information

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 or by contacting your RMA Regional Office.

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 safe, 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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