Texas Citrus

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) issued Product Management Bulletin PM-23-035 on June 29, 2023, announcing changes to several policies under the APHCIT Final Rule. In reviewing the changes made in the APHCIT Final Rule, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) found some incorrect references and conflicting provisions that were not updated to accurately incorporate the changes, and a grammatical error was included in the amendatory instructions.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) amended the Common Crop Insurance Provisions Basic Provisions, Area Risk Protection Insurance Basic Provisions, and 20 individual Crop Provisions for the 2023 and succeeding crop years for the June 30, 2022, contract change date and for the 2024 crop year for crops with a contract change date prior to June 30, 2022, with the following changes:

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) has revised the Texas Citrus Fruit Crop Provisions (18-0226) for the 2018 and succeeding crop years. The provisions were revised to standardize terminology; clarify provisions; expand insurable causes of loss for fruit damaged by insects and disease (unless excluded through the Special Provisions and provided damage is not due to insufficient or improper application of control measures); and implement new calculations for fruit insured with an intended use of fresh, with production adjusted using a Fresh Fruit Factor contained in the Special Provisions.

Background 

Processing of citrus juice in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas generally begins in December when harvest commences and terminates in May when harvest ends. When insured citrus fruit is damaged from December through May, market prices are generally available for settling claims. Market prices are generally unavailable for settling claims when insured citrus fruit is damaged from June through November and citrus juice processing is not in operation.

As of August 08, 2019 the following information is now available on the FTP site:

• 2019 Actuarial Data Master for the 11/30 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2020 Actuarial Data Master for the 6/30, 8/31, 9/30, 10/31 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2020 Special Provisions for the 6/30, 8/31, 9/30, 10/31 Filing Date.

Users can find this information in the following directories:

On August 12, 2015, AgriLogic Consulting, LLC (AgriLogic) the developers of the Texas Citrus Tree plan of insurance, advised the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors (Board) of their intent to maintain the Texas Citrus Tree plan of insurance and charge a user fee to approved insurance providers (AIP) selling the plan. Section 522(b)(4)(C) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act) allows submitters to transfer approved 508(h) products to FCIC for maintenance, or maintain the policy and charge a user fee to AIP’s that elect to sell the policy.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors, under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act, approved modifications to the Texas Citrus Tree Insurance Program on August 15, 2018, including:

• adding lemon trees as an insurable type in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties;
• providing an option to select a percent of the price election for all citrus trees by type; and
• allowing enterprise units to insure all acreage of the same tree crop.