News
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2014 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced that it is evaluating the feasibility of over 40 additional crops that may be covered under Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) insurance for the 2016 crop year. SCO, a provision of the 2014 Farm Bill, is designed to help protect producers from yield and market volatility.
Currently, SCO is available for corn, cotton, cottonseed, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat in selected counties for the 2015 crop year. A list of the crops under review for 2016 can be found on the RMA website in the Spotlight Section. RMA will provide SCO coverage for any crop under review that has…
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the implementation of a new Farm Bill initiative that will provide relief to farmers affected by severe weather, including drought. The Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion, available nationwide for farmers of select crops starting next spring, allows eligible producers who have been hit with severe weather to receive a higher approved yield on their insurance policies through the federal crop insurance program.
Spring crops eligible for APH Yield Exclusion include corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, barley, canola, sunflowers, peanuts, and popcorn. Nearly three-fourths of all acres and liability in the federal crop insurance program will be covered under…
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released additional information on the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) availability for Spring 2015 crops. A provision of the 2014 Farm Bill, SCO is a county-level policy endorsement that covers a portion of the deductible of the underlying crop insurance policy.
Administered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), SCO is available for corn, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat in select counties for the 2015 crop year. Farmers and ranchers interested in learning how SCO can help them better manage unforeseen risks can now find maps showing where the option is available, commodity fact sheets, frequently asked questions, policy information…
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 12, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced that the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) will be available to upland cotton producers through the federal crop insurance program beginning with the 2015 crop year. STAX is one of several new risk management options created by the 2014 Farm Bill that will help protect farmers from events beyond their control such as weather disasters.
“The 2014 Farm Bill provides more options for farmers and ranchers to manage risks to their businesses and makes crop insurance more affordable for beginning farmers,” said RMA Administrator Brandon Willis. “STAX will provide upland cotton producers with an additional tool beginning with the 2015 crop year. We want…
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced the availability of $7 million for risk management education and training programs. The programs provide risk management organizations with resources to develop training and education programs to help farmers and ranchers effectively manage long-term risks and challenges.
"Crop insurance has been a proven risk management strategy for farmers of all sizes and operations,” said RMA Administrator Brandon Willis. “We’re committed to giving farmers the tools they need to use the program in the way that works best for them.”
Through these partnerships, producers will receive assistance in understanding and using crop insurance programs as well as other risk…
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2014 â The United States Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) today reminded producers of recent changes to the organic farm safety net and key dates for producers to know for their 2014 crops.
In its support for the continued growth of organic agriculture, RMA expanded the coverage options for producers through Federal crop insurance. Through efforts to better collect and evaluate price and yield data, RMA has worked with other USDA agencies over the past several years to develop new policies, expanding the options for organic producers. The agency added organic price elections for 2014 for eight additional crops (oats, peppermint, apricots, apples, blueberries, almonds, pears, and grapes for juice) bringing the…
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it is expanding crop insurance options with a new Grapevine insurance program, which will provide coverage for loss of grafted vines caused by natural perils such as freeze or fire. The new program also will complement the Grape crop insurance program that covers the fruit growing on the vine.
“We are always striving to offer the strongest risk management resources for our nation’s agricultural producers—sometimes by…
PINE BLUFF, Arkansas, Aug.11, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is awarding $2.2 million to 16 organizations to educate historically underserved producers, small-scale farmers and others on farm risk management and climate-smart farm practices. The funding from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) provides the resources for organizations, such as nonprofits and universities, to develop training and resources for producers on risk management options.…