Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

RMA enhances crop insurance for grapes

DAVIS, California – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is enhancing crop insurance for grapes, expanding contract price eligibility, and clarifying calculations for contract pricing for grape crops beginning in crop year 2022. USDA’s Risk Management Agency will also extend the acreage reporting date for grapes from Jan. 15 to May 15 to allow producers additional time to finalize their contracts.

“We are excited to give grape producers enhancements they have been asking for,” said RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy. “We work diligently to ensure crop insurance works well for all producers, including growers of specialty crops like grapes.”

Specific changes include:

• Expanding contract price eligibility to grape growers with both contracted and non-contracted acres through a weighted average contract price.

• Clarifying how to calculate contract pricing when the contract is written in dollars per acre rather than dollars per ton, including calculations for using a weighted average price based on the approved yield for the contracted acres.

• Extending the acreage reporting date in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington from Jan. 15 to May 15 due to contract finalization dates in those states.

The grape program’s producers purchased more than 5,000 policies to protect nearly $1.75 billion in liabilities in 2020.

The number of agricultural producers who purchase crop insurance for their specialty and organic crops continues to climb, which USDA attributes to its work with producers and agricultural groups in recent years to create new crop insurance options, to expand and improve current options like grape insurance. Learn more in our Aug. 26, 2021 news release.

RMA staff are working with crop insurance companies and other customers to support crop insurance coverage for producers. Farmers with crop insurance questions or needs should contact their insurance agents about conducting business remotely (by telephone or email). More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

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.

Submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/15/2024 05:51