President’s Budget Confirms Crop Insurance Essential to Farm Safety Net

On March 11, President Joe Biden released a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget that fully funds the Federal crop insurance program in recognition of the indispensable role that crop insurance plays in the farm safety net. The budget states that the “administration supports improvements to crop insurance, proactively managing risk from natural hazards, including the permanent authorization of the cover crop incentive program.”

The release of the FY 2025 Budget follows a January letter from more than 60 farming, banking, and conservation organizations asking the Secretary of Agriculture and the Biden Administration to protect crop insurance from harmful budget cuts. These organizations represent a wide swath of American agriculture, including both row crop and specialty crop growers, ranchers, farm lenders, manufacturers, and environmental advocates.

“Given the challenges faced by rural America and the critical nature of crop insurance, cuts to the program should be avoided. We urge you to continue to support America’s farmers and ranchers and oppose cuts to crop insurance during this year’s budget process,” the organizations wrote. Farmers, agribusinesses, lenders, and lawmakers agree that crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net and is crucial to the economic and food and fiber security of urban and rural America.

The American Association of Crop Insurers, Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau, Crop Insurance Professionals Association, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, and National Crop Insurance Services released the following joint statement on this impressive show of support from rural America for the Federal crop insurance program:

“America’s farm families face incredible challenges every day, including the threat of unexpected weather disasters. We’re proud that the certainty provided by crop insurance helps these families manage their risks and protects the world’s safest and most affordable food supply. Both the Biden Administration and Congress have repeatedly recognized the importance of crop insurance as the most critical element of the farm safety net, and we encourage them both to once again fully fund crop insurance.

“The crop insurance program works for farmers and taxpayers alike by:

  1. Providing predictable, within-budget assistance to farmers and allowing farmers to customize their policies to their individual farm and financial risk needs.
  2. Requiring farmers to share in the risk. Last year, farmers spent $6.8 billion to purchase crop insurance and then shouldered a significant portion of losses through deductibles.
  3. Complementing farmers’ efforts to invest in conservation and climate-smart farming practices.

“The Federal government spends less than a quarter of 1% of its budget on the farm safety net, including crop insurance, making this a worthwhile investment to protect the world’s most affordable and safe food and fiber supply.”

NEW PODCAST EPISODE 🌱 Key Crop Insurance Date in March

Spring is the season of new beginnings, bringing warmer weather and sunshine, and college hoops and March Madness! It’s also the time for farmers to decide which spring crops they want to insure for the 2024 crop year.

This is a critical decision for farmers because growing the most abundant and inexpensive food supply in the world doesn’t come without inherent risks, from unpredictable weather and natural disasters to financial losses and crop price declines.

To help manage this risk, farmers should sit down with their crop insurance agent before the March 15 sales deadline to carefully evaluate their crop insurance options. Crop insurance serves as an important risk-management tool designed to provide timely financial assistance to farmers when they need it most.

But what exactly is this deadline? How do farmers participate? What is the role of crop insurance agents?

All of these questions and more are answered in the latest installment of Keep America Growing, a new five-minute monthly podcast all about crop insurance hosted by National Crop Insurance Services President Tom Zacharias.

Take five minutes to listen to the latest episode and catch up on all previous episodes here!

New Podcast Episode: Keep America Growing

NEW PODCAST EPISODE 🌱 Keep America Growing

When you think of agriculture and farming in America, what immediately comes to mind? For many, it’s the rolling corn and soybean fields in the Midwest. But America’s farmers grow many different types of fruits and vegetables throughout the country, requiring a diverse crop insurance program that meets the highly specialized risks of each region.

To help break down the ins and outs of crop insurance, National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) recently launched “Keep America Growing,” a new five-minute monthly podcast hosted by NCIS President Tom Zacharias.

In January, we provided an overview of the crop insurance industry and explained how crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net. This month, we’re discussing how crop insurance meets the regional needs of farmers – and why a flexible and adaptable crop insurance program is so important.

For example, did you know that crop insurance covers 136 crops and 604 varieties with 36 different plans of insurance? It also protects livestock. Crop insurance is a customizable tool that allows America’s farmers and ranchers to create a risk management plan tailored to their specific needs.

But don’t take our word for it – spend five minutes and hear from four farmers who share their personal stories about how crop insurance helps them overcome disaster and keep their farms afloat. You can listen to this episode and all previous Keep America Growing episodes below.

[LISTEN HERE]

Be on the lookout for the next episode in March to hear information about the upcoming spring sales closing deadline and what farmers should be looking for in the upcoming 2024 growing season.

New Voter Polling Confirms Importance of Strong Crop Insurance Program

Registered voters support farmers and the protection provided by the crop insurance program, according to recently released data from National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS). American voters are asking Congress to support family farmers by passing a Farm Bill that protects, preserves, and improves crop insurance.

A national poll of more than 1,100 registered voters conducted in September 2023 found that more than nine in 10 Americans agree that a strong and thriving American farming industry is critical to American national security.

Crop insurance provides family farmers and family farms with a risk management tool to help them survive disasters so they can continue growing our food and fiber, supporting our food security, and contributing to our economy. Voters recognize the importance of having a strong and sustainable crop insurance program in place to help farmers stay in business following disasters.

Eighty-two percent of surveyed voters support the government giving farmers a discount on the crop insurance policy they purchase from a private company, which pays claims only in the event of bad weather or low prices. This places public support for crop insurance at its highest level since 2016.

Importantly, when asked what measures Congress should include in the next Farm Bill, 87 percent of voters agree that it’s important Congress supports multi-generational family farmers by passing a Farm Bill that includes risk management tools like crop insurance.

When asked what Congress should do in the next Farm Bill, voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to weaken crop insurance by a wide bipartisan measure. Fifty-three percent of voters agreed that Congress should strengthen crop insurance in the next Farm Bill, while only six percent of voters agreed that the budget for crop insurance should be cut to fund other priorities. Voters support strengthening crop insurance by a nearly nine to one margin.

Crop insurance works for family farmers like third-generation farmer Marshal Cahall, who grows both conventional and organic crops on the Eastern Shore of Maryland; or the Moore Family, third- and fourth-generation farmers who are passionate about providing their neighbors in North Carolina with healthy and nutritious foods; or Erica Wuthrich, a young farmer in Iowa who counts on the protection provided by crop insurance.

Crop insurance is built on a unique public-private partnership that requires farmers to share in the risks that come with farming. Last year, farmers paid $6.8 billion out of their own pockets for more than 1.2 million crop insurance policies, protecting more than 540 million acres of farmland across all 50 states.

Crop insurance keeps America growing. View More Results Here.

This data was gathered through a national online survey of 1,154 registered voters conducted in September 2023 by North Star Opinion Research. The margin of error is ±2.88 percent for the full sample. The sample was weighted to reflect the demographics of registered voters nationwide, including party affiliations of 39% Democrat, 23% Independent, and 35% Republican.

New Podcast: Keep America Growing

Crop insurance is one of the most instrumental components of a strong farm safety net. But with terms like “Actuarial Soundness” or “Whole-Farm Revenue Protection,” it might sometimes feel like you need to be an insurance whiz to fully understand how this public-private partnership works.

To keep you up-to-date and in-the-know about crop insurance, National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) has launched “Keep America Growing,” a new monthly podcast hosted by NCIS President Tom Zacharias. In just quick, five-minute episodes, Zacharias and his guests will break down how crop insurance works, why it’s important for American agriculture, and why it matters to YOU.

You’ll have a chance to hear the facts about the crop insurance industry straight from the men and women who keep America’s farmers and ranchers growing.

For example, did you know that this NCIS doesn’t actually have its own TV show? Or that farmers must purchase a crop insurance policy before they plant a crop? Last year, farmers bought more than 1.2 million crop insurance policies protecting more than $194 billion in crops and livestock.

Don’t miss this and much more in the first episode, which you can listen to by clicking here.

Be on the lookout for the next episode in February to learn about what exactly crop insurance covers – and why this coverage is so important to farmers and our country.

Congress Supports Crop Insurance

With a one-year extension of the Farm Bill signed into law, Congress is turning its attention to drafting a five-year Farm Bill that strengthens the farm safety net. As the cornerstone of this safety net, crop insurance has received a lot of attention lately. We’re proud of this public-private partnership that keeps family farmers on the farm and saves taxpayer money by quickly delivering aid for verified crop losses.

Let’s hear it from the Hill:

“Federal crop insurance…is one of the most successful examples of a public-private partnership in existence. Farmers willingly pay significant premiums for crop insurance coverage because it provides reliable assistance when disaster strikes. This timely indemnification doesn’t just benefit farmers, it bolsters rural economies by ensuring that producers can pay back their lenders, retain their employees, and get back on their feet to farm again the following season.” – Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15-R), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture

“Leave crop insurance alone. Just keep it going the way it is… that’s what I’ve been hearing from farmers.– Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA-R)

“[Crop insurance] works pretty darn good right now.” – Sen. Jon Tester (MT-D)

Crop insurance has proven to be a bedrock risk management tool… I firmly believe an opportunity exists to build on the program’s success by making higher coverage levels more affordable to producers across the country. This will help alleviate the need for ad hoc assistance programs, saving money while strengthening this important risk management tool.” – Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN-7-R)

“Crop insurance and other programs… are very important in my region to help to ensure that our farmers are continuing to feed America.– Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11-R)

It’s no surprise that Congress is sharing its support for this critical risk management tool. That’s because crop insurance:

  • Protects 540 million acres of American farmland
  • Supports all farmers: large and small, conventional and organic, and specialty-crop growers and livestock ranchers
  • Delivers aid to farmers and ranchers in just days or weeks, thanks to the more than 20,000 private-sector insurance agents, adjusters, and other personnel who support crop insurance
  • Earns the trust of America’s farmers and ranchers through consistent service and risk protection
  • Keeps America Growing

Congress should work to improve crop insurance so it covers more acres, more crops, and more farmers in the next Farm Bill.

Interested in hearing real-life farmers talk about crop insurance? Watch their stories here, or follow us on Instagram.

Kansas Farmers, Agents Share Crop Insurance Stories

We all want healthy, fresh food for our families. America’s farmers and ranchers provide that and more, for your family and families all over the world. But this wouldn’t be possible without Federal crop insurance.

“We purchase crop insurance because we just [have] to,” said Dennis Tencleve, a farmer in Mayfield, Kansas, who grows mainly wheat. “We do all we can to raise the best crop we can.”

National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) recently spoke with Dennis and other farmers throughout Kansas to hear firsthand how and why crop insurance is so important to their farms – and to the nation as a whole. You can hear these farmers’ video stories, as well as video stories from ranchers and agents, by clicking on their names below.

“Crop insurance has been a great asset for us.” Randy Braddock, Kansas Farmer

“Crop insurance is so important. It’s designed to help the farmer if they have a complete disaster.” Andrea Knoll, Crop Insurance Agent

“Crop insurance has saved us several times.” Scott Becker, Kansas Farmer

“The reason we have crop insurance [is] to provide affordable food.” Dave Taylor, Crop Insurance Agent

“Crop insurance is just almost a necessity. It will keep you in business.” Harold Engle, Kansas Farmer

“Crop insurance has made it a little more affordable. If you have a disaster, then you don’t lose the entire farm and rely on someone else to bail you out.” Keith Strasser, Kansas Farmer

Crop Insurance is the Cornerstone of the Farm Safety Net

Crop insurance serves America’s farmers and ranchers through effective risk management tools that strengthen the economic stability of agricultural producers and their rural communities. This ensures Americans have access to a safe and secure food supply.

Because it protects all American farming operations—no matter the size—it’s an incredibly diverse and robust program. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the numbers and see what farmers themselves have to say.

Crop insurance is as diverse as the crops it protects. Crop insurance covers 136 crops and 604 varieties with 36 different plans of insurance. Crop insurance is also available for livestock.

With the number of options, endorsements, and various elections available, that totals more than 170,000 different county/crop programs.

Crop insurance protects $194 billion worth of crops and livestock.

More than $22 billion worth of specialty crops are protected by crop insurance and farmers buy crop insurance on more than 70 different organic crops.

Crop insurance protects more than 90% of insurable acres of American major crop farmland. Farmers in all 50 states purchase crop insurance.

Farmers trust crop insurance. They buy more than 1.2 million crop insurance policies each year.

Farmers have paid more than $46 billion in crop insurance premiums in the last 10 years. They share in the risk.

“Crop insurance remains agriculture’s best risk management tool, it’s imperative that Congress continue to protect a strong, effective Federal crop insurance program.”

– Travis Beuerlein, Texas Cattle Rancher

“If it wasn’t for Whole Farm Revenue Protection today, you know, I may not be at the size that I am.”

Brian Campbell, Pennsylvania Diversified Produce Farmer

Not a Farmer? Crop Insurance Matters to You, Too!

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net, protecting more than 490 million acres across all 50 states, as well as 136 crops and 604 varieties with 36 different plans of insurance. It has earned the trust of America’s farmers by providing personalized risk management plans that quickly deliver aid in the case of a verified loss. But crop insurance is about more than just crops — learn more.

Not only do American farmers and voters trust crop insurance, Congress has repeatedly strengthened the program to give farmers more certainty, support the rural economy, and protect our national food supply. Most recently, Congress enacted changes to crop insurance in the last Farm Bill in 2018.

Not a farmer? Here are some of the ways improvements to crop insurance affect you, too:

Strengthens Voluntary Conservation Efforts
America’s farmers and ranchers are stewards of the land and our national resources. Crop insurance requires that farmers follow Good Farming Practices (GFP) appropriate for their crop and region to maintain crop insurance coverage. The 2018 Farm Bill recognized cover crops as GFP, reinforcing the coexistence of crop insurance and soil health measures. GFPs are one way crop insurance works hand-in-hand with farmers on conservation, creating a more resilient and more sustainable future for us all.

Improves Coverage for Specialty Crops and Non-Traditional Crops
Farming doesn’t just revolve around sprawling fields of corn in the Midwest. America’s farmers grow many different types of fruits and vegetables to feed millions around the world, requiring a crop insurance program that is as diverse as the crops it protects. Because of this, Congress recognized the need to increase support for specialty crop producers and added improvements to citrus fruit and tree policies and improvements to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policy to the 2018 Farm Bill. A new Production Revenue History plan of insurance was also added for strawberries and fresh market tomatoes, with other specialty crops also being researched and developed.

Expands Benefits for Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers
American farmers are crucial to the safety and stability of our food supply. To help beginning farmers and ranchers better navigate the risks of farming,  policy premium discounts were expanded in the 2018 Farm Bill to those with ten years or less farming experience. Congress also reduced regulatory burdens and expanded the benefits available to veterans who are entering agriculture. Access to affordable and dependable crop insurance will help pave the way for future generations of American farmers.

The bipartisan support for crop insurance in the 2018 Farm Bill produced a better crop insurance program. Congress helped create more adaptable risk management tools, supporting farmers and our food supply. We look forward to seeing how Congress can utilize the next Farm Bill to expand crop insurance to more farms, more crops, and more acres.

Crop Insurance Essential for California Farmers

For three years, California’s farmers and ranchers faced extreme drought. Then, this winter, as crop insurance agent Dan Van Vuren tells it, “It started raining in January and it didn’t stop until March.”

It’s been a devastating year for many California growers, but crop insurance has provided a valuable safety net for our farmers, our food supply, and the farm economy.

“Crop insurance keeps farmers in business,” Dan said. “The more farmers you have in business, the more food you’re going to have on the table.”

National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) recently traveled to California to capture the stories of private-sector crop insurance agents like Dan, and the farmers and ranchers who rely on this vital component of the farm safety net. You can watch all of their video stories here.

Farmers like sixth-generation grower Alex Wilson, who runs a vertically integrated pear and cherry operation with his family.

“I want Congress to know that there are family farms that depend on crop insurance. People like me who want to continue on a legacy.”

Check out more quotes from real farmers, ranchers, and agents by visiting our Real Stories page.

Farmers: Crop Insurance Provides Protection, Not Profit

America’s farmers don’t profit from crop insurance. They’d rather grow and harvest a crop than file a crop insurance claim.

We recently shared an explainer demonstrating how crop insurance is an investment into the protection of family farms – not a get-rich-quick scheme. A brand-new series of interviews with farmers in the field confirms that farmers buy crop insurance with the hopes of never needing to actually use it.

“By no means are we going to get rich off of crop insurance,” fourth-generation farmer Steve Koretoff said.

Steve recalled a massive hailstorm that mowed down about 1,000 acres of cotton. “If it wasn’t for the fact that we had crop insurance, it would have been a devastating loss for our operation.”

Farmer Eric Ott knows that feeling of devastation all too well. This year, flood waters destroyed two alfalfa fields and his walnut fields. “It’s sad,” he said. “You put your heart and soul into growing these things and then it just goes like that and there’s nothing.”

Eric was grateful he had crop insurance to help offset his losses, but crop insurance did not make Eric whole, let alone allow him to recoup the potential income that he would have received from selling that alfalfa and walnut crop.

“We’re not in this to make money, to collect the insurance to make money. We just want to be able to pay the bills and sleep at night and not lose the farm.”

When almond farmer Donny Hicks had a disastrous harvest one year, he filed a crop insurance claim to cover the costs he had already invested into that year’s almond crop.

“Of course, not making any money, but covering our cost and getting through so that we could continue to farm the next year,” he said.

“The last thing I want to do is collect crop insurance,” fourth generation farmer Craig Ledbetter echoed. “But it’s also something that if disaster happens that I absolutely need…to break even and give you a fighting chance for another year.”

Private-Sector Delivery Protects Farmers

The Federal crop insurance program is built on a unique public-private partnership. Under this successful model, farmers purchase a personalized crop insurance policy from any of the private insurance companies – known as Approved Insurance Providers, or AIPs – authorized to sell and service crop insurance by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

But how does private-sector delivery of crop insurance protect farmers? Watch our new video– featuring real farmers, real agents, and real adjusters – to learn more.

Crop insurance companies work together with the USDA to improve the regulatory framework of crop insurance, improve program delivery, and expand participation. While the USDA sets rates and rules for the various plans of insurance that can be sold by private crop insurance agents, it is the responsibility of crop insurance companies to write policies, as well as adjust and process claims.

That means when disaster strikes, private-sector crop insurance companies react quickly to assess damages and issue payments. Crop insurance assistance is usually delivered within just 30 days of a claim being finalized, making crop insurance faster than disaster aid and providing farmers and the communities that rely on them with a critical safety net.

Private-sector crop insurers spend millions on research, training, and new technology to constantly improve efficiency and help farmers better adapt to the changing climate.

Not only that, but the dynamic nature of crop insurance and the strong partnership between crop insurers and the Federal government means that the program can quickly adapt to reflect farmers’ risks and the voluntary adoption of proven climate-smart agriculture practices.

That’s why Congress has made crop insurance the cornerstone of the farm safety net. Crop insurance must be protected and strengthened in the next Farm Bill.

Celebrating 100 Years of Crop Insurance Research

Did you know this year marks 100 years of crop insurance-sponsored agricultural research? That’s right – crop insurance has supported American farmers for the last century, helping them manage risk and overcome obstacles, keeping our food supply safe and secure.

In fact, over the past 100 years, National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) and its predecessor organizations have conducted more than 400 research projects in 35 states resulting in the development and refinement of loss adjustment procedures for 54 crops ranging from alfalfa to wild rice.

A mule-drawn cultivating team in the 1910’s. Around the time this photo was taken, the crop insurance industry started the agronomic research program that is still working today to understand the impact of nature’s perils on crops.A mule-drawn cultivating team in the 1910’s. Around the time this photo was taken, the crop insurance industry started the agronomic research program that is still working today to understand the impact of nature’s perils on crops.

 

Simulating hail with an ice blowing machine. The crop insurance industry funded the development of these machines in the 1980’s to simulate realistic crop damage for loss adjuster schools. They are still in use today.Simulating hail with an ice blowing machine. The crop insurance industry funded the development of these machines in the 1980’s to simulate realistic crop damage for loss adjuster schools. They are still in use today.

 

NCIS conducts research across the country. North Dakota is a favorite research location because it is the northernmost location for a diversity of insured crops. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, sunflower research was prolific in North Dakota!NCIS conducts research across the country. North Dakota is a favorite research location because it is the northernmost location for a diversity of insured crops. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, sunflower research was prolific in North Dakota!

 

Farming in 2023 is very different from farming 100 years ago, but crop insurance is continuing to adapt to best serve farmers. Over the years, the crop insurance industry has invested millions in new technology and precision data to better serve America’s farmers.

NCIS’ agronomic research has also grown with the rise of Land-Grant University research, keeping abreast with new farming practices, changing weather patterns, and technological advances that often change how crops respond to plant damage.

In fact, the ability of crop insurance to adapt to the changing climate is one of its core strengths.

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net. That is why we are committed to helping farmers make the best decisions for their farms while maintaining the integrity and actuarial soundness of crop insurance.

Science is at the core of agriculture. And agriculture is at the heart of America.

Farmer Participation in Crop Insurance Key to Farm Safety Net

Every day, farmers spend long hours working the land or caring for their livestock so they can provide high-quality food at an affordable price for millions of Americans across the nation. This amazing feat would not be possible without the critical safety net that crop insurance provides.

However, instead of wanting to encourage more farmers to participate in crop insurance to help shoulder risk, some activist critics want to reduce crop insurance discounts for farmers, or even prevent farmers from managing their risk with crop insurance by imposing arbitrary limits on farm income. Excluding some family farmers from the farm safety net would put smaller farms — and our national food security — in jeopardy.

This is not sustainable or beneficial for our country’s food system. Instead, Congress must strengthen crop insurance in the next Farm Bill so that it works for more farmers, more crops, and more acres.

National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) has released a new video highlighting that crop insurance is affordable, accessible, and adaptable – and limiting coverage will hurt both farmers and taxpayers.

Watch the new video here and learn more about how crop insurance protects farmers and our food supply by visiting CropInsurance101.org.

The Essential Strengths of Crop Insurance

Crop insurance helps make America’s farmers and ranchers world leaders in agriculture, allowing them to stay competitive and be more innovative. It also helps them sleep better at night knowing that, should the unexpected happen, they will have the financial security to stay in business.

In short, crop insurance keeps America growing.

Here are six reasons why crop insurance is an essential tool for America’s farmers and ranchers:

Provides an Individualized Risk Management Solution

Unlike many other farm programs, crop insurance is not a one-size-fits-all product. Instead, protection is personalized to fit an individual farmer’s risk management needs while considering the type of coverage needed and the crops being grown. There are 13 private-sector crop insurance companies that deliver crop insurance, all driven by competition to meet farmers’ needs.

From the Farm: “I love crop insurance. It works great for our farm… The fact that it’s individualized, its reactive… It’s fantastic.” – Eli Dean, Ohio Organic Farmer

Strengthens American Food Security

Every American relies on farmers to provide a secure food supply, and family farmers depend on crop insurance to keep growing after disaster. Crop insurance also gives farmers the confidence to make long-term investments in the health of their farm and in efficient production methods that support the health of the planet.

From the Farm: “An effective safety net is vital. It should give us farmers confidence to put out a crop and know that we can keep the lights on when hard times hit.” – Caleb Ragland, Kentucky Soybean Grower

Requires Farmers to Share in the Risk

Crop insurance requires farmers to invest in their own protection and share in the risk. Last year, America’s farmers collectively paid $6.8 billion to purchase crop insurance premiums and shouldered losses through deductibles. The government discounts crop insurance premiums to make crop insurance affordable.

From the Farm: “We must continue to have an affordable crop insurance program. With input costs higher in every area of my operation, I cannot afford to have the crop insurance premium [discount] reduced in this next Farm Bill.”  – Jake Isley, Michigan Soybean Grower

Adapts to the Changing Climate

As farmers face increasing challenges due to climate change, the safety net provided by crop insurance is their first line of defense. Crop insurance not only works to protect farmers when disaster strikes, but it also complements efforts to incentivize the voluntary adoption of climate-smart farming practices and can be quickly adjusted to meet the changing needs to farmers.

From the Farm: “The safety net provided by crop insurance is vital to maintaining the agriculture industry in this country, especially in the face of increasingly unpredictable disasters like droughts, floods and extreme weather.” – Allyson Maxwell, Michigan Corn, Sugarbeet, Soybean and Wheat Farmer

Delivers Aid Quickly to Keep America Growing

The public-private partnership between the Federal government and private crop insurers increases efficiency and ensures that aid is delivered quickly — often within 30 days of a finalized claim. Following a weather disaster, private-sector claims adjusters quickly and accurately assess damages and calculate losses. Delivering aid based on actual losses protects farmers, ranchers, and taxpayers alike.

From the Farm: “Mostly I want a tool that I can rely on and plan around, rather than a program of ad hoc relief or a legislative fix. It’s a guaranteed safety net I can count on without congressional intervention.” – Marc Arnusch, Colorado Grain Farmer

Helps Farmers Secure Credit

Farming is not only risky, but it is capital-intensive. Many farmers must take out operating loans to have the financial means to plant a crop, and most lenders require that farmers have crop insurance. Having access to affordable crop insurance is particularly critical for young and beginning farmers who do not have access to substantial capital and must rely on credit.

From the Farm:
“Anybody you bank with now, they’re going to ask if you have crop insurance and at what level, because that makes you bankable to them—they want protection just like you want and need protection.” – Zac Harris, Oklahoma Farmer

Crop Insurance by the Numbers

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net. Its unique public-private partnership is trusted by America’s family farmers and supported by voters. By delivering aid quickly when disaster strikes, crop insurance keeps family farmers growing, drives the rural economy, and supports our national food security.

National Crop Insurance Services has put together 50 fact sheets highlighting the importance of agriculture and demonstrating how crop insurance keeps your state growing. Let’s break down crop insurance by the numbers.

490 Million Acres

Crop insurance protects more than 490 million acres. These acres represent thousands of farming families. Each farm is an integral part of our nation’s food supply and our economy.

130+ Crops

Crop insurance covers 136 crops and 604 varieties with 36 different plans of insurance. Farmers across the country count on the personalized safety net provided by crop insurance.

$6.8 Billion

Crop insurance requires farmers to invest in their own protection and share in the risk. Last year, America’s farmers collectively paid $6.8 billion to purchase more than 1.2 million crop insurance policies.

30 Days

The public-private partnership between the Federal government and private crop insurers increases efficiency and ensures that aid is delivered quickly, generally within 30 days of a claim being finalized.

336 Million

The number of Americans who benefit from having a bountiful supply of grown-in-America food. Crop insurance is necessary to protect the world’s most affordable and safe food and fiber supply.

Find your state fact sheet at CropInsuranceInMyState.org.

What Happens When There is a Loss?

You’re a farmer and your worst nightmare has just come true.

After investing time, energy, and money into growing a crop, a tornado has destroyed your harvest. Or a drought sapped all the moisture from your fields. Or flooding meant you never had the opportunity to plant in the first place.

There are a million and one things that can go wrong on a farm. But what happens after a disaster?

When disaster strikes, a farmer who holds a crop insurance policy starts by contacting their crop insurance agent. The agent then submits a claim, or notice of loss, with the Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) who holds the policy. There are 14 private-sector AIPs authorized to sell and service Federally regulated crop insurance in the United States.

The AIP then sends a trained and licensed crop insurance claims adjuster to verify the loss. These skilled adjusters quickly and accurately assess damages and calculate losses based on that individual farmer’s actual loss, not the severity of the overall disaster event. Delivering aid based on actual losses protects farmers, ranchers, and taxpayers alike.

Once the claim is finalized – usually in just days or weeks, thanks to private-sector efficiency – the farmer receives an indemnity check. But this isn’t a windfall payment that will make the farmer whole. It enables them to keep on farming, and plant again the following year.

One of the key components of this entire process is that it is data-driven. Crop insurance claims adjusters determine losses based on a farmer’s actual production history. Crop adjusters also use industry-wide standardized loss procedures, which are based on 100 years of ongoing scientific research. Since 1923, National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) has funded this agronomic research at land-grant universities. In 2022 alone, NCIS funded 12 research projects in 11 states.

In addition, America’s crop insurers have made program integrity a top priority. Crop insurers have invested millions in data collection, education and training, and new research and technology to better serve America’s farmers.

And service is really at the heart of crop insurance.

Disasters can strike at any time and climate volatility threatens America’s farmers. That is why Congress must maintain a strong crop insurance program.

“The Most Successful Thing We’ve Done in Agriculture”

Former Minnesota congressman Collin Peterson knows farm policy. As Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Peterson played a key role in several Farm Bills. Peterson recently spoke at an Agri-Pulse event about the critical role crop insurance plays in the farm safety net.

“The most successful thing we’ve done in agriculture, and clearly during my career was crop insurance,” Peterson said.

As farm disasters have threatened farms in recent years, Peterson also urged Congress to utilize the next Farm Bill to improve crop insurance and expand coverage where needed, rather than create a separate new permanent disaster program. Peterson warned that a permanent disaster program would “undermine crop insurance.”

Policy experts and politicians aren’t the only ones speaking out in support of crop insurance. We’ve spent the year talking to farmers on the ground about how crop insurance helps them manage their risks and gives them the tools to improve resiliency.

  • “[Crop insurance has] been a tremendous help. It is a very affordable tool that allows you to minimize or manage some risk and have a small return if the weather goes against you.” – Gayle Smith, North Carolina rancher
  • “We use crop insurance for the fact that if something bad happens, we don’t want to lose our livelihood.” – Jim Carroll, fourth-generation Arkansas farmer
  • “Crop insurance helps me relieve the stress knowing that if something happened, disaster happened on the farm, I do have something to fall back on. That I won’t… lose everything.” – Michael Moore, third-generation North Carolina farmer
  • “Crop insurance basically ensures that the growers are going to be farming next year.” – Landrum Weathers, fifth-generation South Carolina farmer and crop insurance agent
  • “Without crop insurance… this farm would not still be here. It would be gone.” – Brian McClam, seventh-generation South Carolina farmer
  • “We put so much money into the crop that we can’t afford to miss a crop. Or not to have a safety net if we do.” – Scott Flowers, Mississippi farmer

These testimonials represent the immense trust that farmers place in crop insurance. Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net, insuring 445 million acres in 2021.

It is critical that crop insurance remain affordable, effective, viable, and adaptable. This ensures that farmers have a risk management plan to prepare for the unexpected and the confidence to plant again after disaster.

“It’s going to give us more backstop against the ups and downs of agriculture,” Peterson said. “And that’s always going to be there. You know, it’s just a dangerous business.”

Crop Insurance Basics: Specialty Crops

When you think of farming, you might first think of fields of corn sprawled across the Midwest. But America’s farmers grow many different types of fruits and vegetables, requiring a crop insurance program that is as diverse as the crops it protects.

Crop insurance is a customizable tool that allows America’s farmers and ranchers to create a risk management plan tailored to their needs. That means growers can be covered:

Crop insurance has become the cornerstone of the farm safety net and provides every farmer with access to an affordable risk management tool. A new report from the Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that over the past two decades, the value of specialty crops protected by crop insurance has tripled. Total specialty crop liabilities have grown from $7 billion in 2000 to $21 billion in 2020. As ERS points out in their report, all farmers face risks, “but the nature of specialty crop production and marketing may heighten exposure to some of these risks.”

Crop insurance has expanded and improved over time, particularly for specialty crops or growers not adequately served by other risk management tools. For example, the 2014 Farm Bill included a new policy specifically meant to expand coverage options for diversified farming operations: Whole-Farm Revenue Protection. The introduction of Whole-Farm Revenue Protection offers diversified farmers – such as fruit and vegetable growers, and organic growers – more flexible, affordable risk management options.

Brian Campbell is a diversified produce farmer in Pennsylvania who credits crop insurance and the protection afforded by Whole-Farm Revenue Protection for his success. “If it wasn’t for whole farm revenue protection today, you know, I may not be at the size that I am,” Brian told National Crop Insurance Services.

Across the country, Lupe Guzman in California also relies on crop insurance to protect his family farming operation, which includes 1,300 acres of certified organic crops, such as avocados, lemons, mandarins, and Valencia oranges.

“By having the crop insurance, we’re able to guarantee that if for some reason we do have a bad freeze, we’ll be able to fall back on that insurance so that we can keep farming the following years,” Lupe said.

Another organic grower, Michael Sahr in Michigan, agrees that crop insurance is important to protecting his farm and our food supply. “Without crop insurance, we’d have so much devastation that the farmers would go out of business, and you would be paying a lot more money for your food,” he said.

“You could have a beautiful crop one day, and the next day, a big weather event happens, and you don’t have that anymore,” Michigan blueberry grower Shelly Hartmann said. “Crop insurance is really a big tool that we use here to help us offset any unexpected weather events.”

An untimely freeze, for example, can destroy a crop of table grapes growing at the Kirschenmann Brothers Farming Company in California. “Crop insurance gives us a little safety net,” Kenneth Kirschenmann said. “It doesn’t solve all the problems if we had a 100 percent wipeout, but it does keep us in business.”

California grower Devon Yurosek farms several tree crops, including pistachios, cherries, and pomegranates. The nature of these crops means that Devon and his family have one shot to make a good crop each year, stay in business, and keep their workers employed.

“We have to be able to pay the bills. In bad years, it’s difficult to do if you don’t have a crop on the trees. That’s where crop insurance has been a huge help to us,” Devon explained.

Produce and other specialty crops aren’t the only non-traditional crop that is covered by crop insurance. Pasture, rangeland, and forage (PRF) insurance helps farmers when they don’t receive the expected rainfall needed to keep their pastures productive for feeding livestock.

Pennsylvania farmer John Ligo turned to his PRF policy when a drought reduced his grass yield on the acres he uses to help feed his 600 head of cattle. “One of those things that we can do to manage crop production risk is crop insurance,” he said.

Farmers trust crop insurance to help them manage the highly specialized risks of farming they face today.

Crop Insurance Keeps Farmers Fighting

Weather is one of a farmers’ top concerns. Just enough sun and rain will power a plant, resulting in a good yield. But too much sun and not enough rain, or too much rain and not enough sun, and a farmer might soon be counting his losses.

The challenges presented by weather volatility was something that we heard repeatedly from farmers in hurricane-prone South Carolina. Fifth-generation farmer Landrum Weathers said that “every year that we don’t get a named storm that hits here is a good year.”

Landrum farms corn, peanuts, soybeans and cotton while also working as a crop insurance agent with the Agriliance Insurance Group. He said choosing to purchase crop insurance is not a difficult decision. It helps sustain his farm, so he can keep producing food and fiber.

“Crop insurance basically ensures that the growers are going to be farming next year. That means that our country doesn’t have to call somebody else, I don’t care who, to get food,” Landrum said.

J.C. Carroll, who founded Agriliance Insurance Group alongside Ben Tillman, echoed Landrum’s comments on food security, explaining “it’s important for farmers to protect themselves with crop insurance. I think that crop insurance is our best safety net… It gives us food security.”

Weather was also top of mind for Johnny Watts, a fourth-generation farmer who grows corn and soybeans and raises cattle. “Every time a storm makes up out in the Atlantic, you kind of hold your breath and, you know, is this going to be it.”

Each storm brings with it a feeling of hopelessness. Farmers can prepare for every scenario, but they can’t hold back Mother Nature.

“You could have a great crop today. Tomorrow, you may not,” Johnny said.

“No farmer wants to have a loss,” explained Brian McClam, a seventh-generation farmer. Brian grows cotton, soybeans, and corn, and has had a couple close calls when it comes to natural disasters.

“Without crop insurance… this farm would not still be here. It would be gone,” Brian said.

Several years ago, seventh-generation farmer Neal Baxley watched as a foot and a half of rain washed away the crops he was about to harvest. An entire growing season, and the expenses and inputs and time that went into that season, gone.

Crop insurance helped soften the blow. Neal said there is a misconception that crop insurance covers a farmer’s entire loss. “It’s not going to make him completely whole but it’s a tool that can try to help him get him through to the next year.”

As Johnny Watts said, “You live to fight another day because of crop insurance.”

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

American Farmers Feed the World

“If you really want to get in the weeds or, in a lot of cases, in the dirt with crop insurance, you need to go out to the field.”

National Crop Insurance Services recently did just that, traveling to North Carolina to capture the real stories of both the farmers who rely on crop insurance and the people who provide coverage advice. That’s where we met Ruth Fulford, a crop risk advisor and care consultant with Flatlands Insurance Group.

Ruth, who was the recipient of the 2022 Crop Insurance Outstanding Service Award for outreach to limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers, is one of the many agents who write crop insurance policies in North Carolina. These policies protect crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, cabbage, sweet potatoes, sage, peanuts, produce and more. Collectively, crop insurance protects 3.5 million acres and more than $2.1 billion worth of crops in North Carolina.

Farmers across the state trust crop insurance to help them manage their risks. Farmers like Rena Eure, who owns a family farm with her husband and son. “What I love about farming is just being able to be out in nature and put a seed in the ground and watch it grow.”

The work of farming is the easy part, Rena told us. It’s the weather risks, financial stress, and supply chain challenges that make farming difficult. And there is a lot riding on the line.

“If we don’t have farmers, we don’t have food or the fiber you know, for the world basically,” Rena said.

Cattle rancher Gayle Smith pointed out that farmers do what they do because they love it. “We feel good about what we do because we provide a quality product for a world, and we willingly make those sacrifices.”

Even though she raises livestock, Gayle considers herself a grass farmer, first and foremost, with the cattle acting as large lawnmowers. But when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, and Gayle doesn’t have enough grass or hay to feed her cattle, that’s when she turns to crop insurance.

“It’s been a tremendous help. It is a very affordable tool that allows you to minimize or manage some risk and have a small return if it if the weather goes against you,” Gayle said.

This message was echoed by Charlotte Vick, who grows row crops alongside her parents on the farm they started with just 25 acres in 1975. “That’s really the main reason that we carry the crop insurance. To try to protect against the weather because you know, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature.”

America’s farmers and ranchers are the foundation of our food supply and critical drivers to the farm economy. The Moore family understands this better than most. Michael is a third-generation family while Antoine is a branch loan officer at AgCarolina Farm Credit and farms with his father.

“Crop insurance helps me relieve the stress knowing that if something happened, disaster happened on the farm, I do have something to fall back on. That I won’t lose, completely, lose everything,” Michael said.

Antoine, on the other hand, pointed out that having a solid risk management plan is a critical consideration for lenders, giving them more certainty when approving farm loans. “Certainly, that makes a huge impact, not just on that farmer, but also on that rural community that relies on that farmer to produce a crop,” Antoine said.

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

Crop Insurance Protects Farmers from Sea to Shining Sea

As we celebrate America’s independence this weekend, let’s also take a moment to celebrate the incredible farmers and ranchers who feed America. Farmers are key to maintaining our freedom and our food security. 

That is why we work hard to ensure that all farmers have the tools they need to manage their risks and grow the crops that feed, fuel and clothe America. Crop insurance provides an invaluable safety net for farmers in all 50 states – from sea to shining sea. 

How does crop insurance protect your state? Visit CropInsuranceInMyState.org to explore 50 brand-new fact sheets highlighting the state-by-state economic impact of agriculture and the importance of crop insurance.

In total, crop insurance protects more than 440 million acres of American farmland. Each of these acres represent a farming family: some are continuing a long legacy of agriculture, while others are the first generation to farm. Each farm is an integral part of our nation’s food supply and our economy.

We’re proud that crop insurance keeps America growing.

Visit CropInsuranceInMyState.org to download a fact sheet for your state

Crop Insurance Keeps Family Farms Alive

Jim Carroll, a fourth-generation farmer in Brinkley, Arkansas, is no stranger to the “bad times” that come with farming. Some years, it feels like he’s just trying to survive.

That’s why Jim invests in crop insurance. “We use crop insurance for the fact that if something bad happens, we don’t want to lose our livelihood, not being smart enough to take a little crop insurance out,” he explained in a new video.

Crop insurance helps Jim manage his risks and protect the farm in the hopes that one day, his grandson will take over as the fifth generation. “My hope is he’ll like this because there’s something unique about being able to put a seed in the ground and watch it come up and develop.”

National Crop Insurance Services is dedicated to sharing the stories of the people behind crop insurance policies. Each one is important, whether it’s the farmers who rely on crop insurance to keep growing after disaster or the agents and adjusters who are dedicated to preserving a strong agricultural economy.

Watch more Real Stories here.

Our most recent trip to the field took us to the rich farmland of Arkansas and Mississippi. Tim Ralston in Atkins, Arkansas, farms rice, soybeans, and corn while raising cattle. The jasmine rice he grows is so fragrant, he said “you can actually smell it when you pull into the field.”

Tim recalled a 500-year flood that threatened his farm and damaged his rice. His crop insurance policy quickly delivered aid to help cover his losses.

“Crop insurance kind of provides a safety net to where you know what the minimum return is going to be. And if you can live with that minimum return and then, you know, you can survive and go forward,” Tim said.

“With [crop insurance], you know it was devastating as it was, but without it, it would have been catastrophic.”

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

Principles for an Effective Farm Safety Net

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net. But why is crop insurance such an effective tool for farmers to manage their risks and recover from crop losses?

Modern crop insurance brings together the efficiencies of a private-sector delivery system with the regulatory oversight and financial support of the government.

Following the farm crisis of the 1980s, a government report prepared for the House Agriculture Committee outlined several principles for an effective farm safety net. Since this report was published, the crop insurance industry and Congress have worked together to strengthen crop insurance and ensure the program meets these principles.

  • Crop insurance provides timely financial assistance to help farmers withstand and recover from crop loss weather events. The public-private partnership between the Federal government and private crop insurers increases efficiency and ensures that aid is delivered quickly. Farmers receive help in just days or weeks.
  • Crop insurance is consistently available to give farmers certainty for long-range planning. When farmers purchase a crop insurance policy, they and their bankers know that they can count on timely assistance should they need it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets rates and rules for the plans that can be sold by private insurance agents, and farmers purchase the appropriate crop insurance policy for their individual risk.
  • Crop insurance provides assistance as determined by an individual farmer’s actual loss, not by the severity of the overall disaster event. Following a weather disaster, private-sector claims adjusters quickly and accurately assess damages and calculate losses. Delivering aid based on actual losses protects farmers, ranchers, and taxpayers alike.
  • Crop insurance requires that farmers invest in their own protection, ensuring farmers are receiving assistance commensurate with the verified amount of their losses. The Federal crop insurance program requires farmers to invest in their own protection and share in the risk. Last year, America’s farmers collectively paid $5 billion to purchase crop insurance premiums and shouldered losses through deductibles.
  • Crop insurance does not create incentives to encourage farming practices that increase the likelihood and extent of losses. In fact, just the opposite. Following Good Farming Practices is a requirement of each crop insurance policy. These practices are based on sound data, science, and are constantly evolving to keep pace with new technologies and changes in the market, weather, and land management.
  • Crop insurance has predictable costs and is required to be actuarily sound. By law, the amount of money in the crop insurance system over time must be sufficient to meet the cost of paying claims when disasters strike. In other words, the math must work.
  • Crop insurance works efficiently to meet its purpose of improving the economic stability of agriculture while maintaining high levels of program integrity. Working closely with USDA, America’s crop insurers have made program integrity a top priority. Crop insurers have invested millions in data collection, education and training, and new research and technology to better serve America’s farmers.

By consistently fulfilling these principles of an effective farm safety net, crop insurance has given our farmers stability. They overwhelmingly trust crop insurance to help them manage their risks.

Let’s fulfill our promises to America’s farmers by ensuring that crop insurance remains available and affordable. Do no harm to the farm safety net.

Risk Management Discussion Shines Spotlight on Crop Insurance

“I can honestly say I would not be sitting here if it was not for crop insurance,” wheat grower Nicole Berg recently told an audience in Washington, DC.

Last year, Berg turned to crop insurance when she was only able to harvest a third of her farm due to drought and arid conditions. Crop insurance provided a vital safety net.

Preserving and strengthening that safety net for all farm producers was a key topic at the annual Ag & Food Policy Summit, hosted by Agri-Pulse. Berg, who is President of the National Association of Wheat Growers, spoke on a panel that focused on managing risks and crop losses on the farm.

“All farmers want to do is stay in business another year,” she said.

The Ag & Food Policy Summit brought together policymakers, farm leaders, and commodity experts for policy discussions that will help shape the 2023 Farm Bill. Crop insurance is expected to remain farmers’ number one risk management tool.

“Our farmers say: crop insurance is a cornerstone of the Farm Bill. Don’t mess with it, just make it better,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Duvall noted that the Farm Bill should reflect the importance of farmers to our national security. That means protecting the farmers who maintain our abundant food supply. Unlike ad hoc disaster programs, which can sometimes take years to deliver assistance, arriving too late to save the family farm after disaster, crop insurance can provide timely assistance to farmers who face unforeseen challenges.

The strengths of crop insurance have made it the ideal risk management tool, said Tom Zacharias, President of National Crop Insurance Services.

  • Its public-private partnership increases efficiency and strengthens program integrity;
  • Its adaptability allows crop insurance to adjust for future risks;
  • Risks and costs are shared between taxpayers, insurers and the government, and;
  • Farmers receive help in just days or weeks, allowing them to count on the predictability of crop insurance to deliver assistance when they need it most.

America’s farmers overwhelmingly trust crop insurance to help them manage their risks. Today, crop insurance provides protection for more than 130 different commodities and covers farmers in all 50 states. Last year, crop insurance insured a record 462 million acres, providing $137 billion dollars in protection. That’s more than 90 percent of major crop insurable farmland in America.

Still, crop insurers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency are continually working together to improve crop insurance to better protect farmers. In the next Farm Bill, that will mean giving USDA the tools it needs to expand affordable coverage for specialty crop producers.

“Roughly $90 billion a year in specialty crops are planted in the United States, and about $19-20 billion of those specialty crops are covered by crop insurance. The delta is not small, but it has been closing, and that’s a positive,” said Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.

Quarles noted that there are more than 300 specialty crops, and each is grown differently, requiring USDA to analyze a significant amount of data. “It has an impact on how those products are priced, how they’re constructed. That’s an ongoing discussion as we look at this Farm Bill: how do we sit down with USDA and the industry, develop better data to make more affordable, useful products,” Quarles said.

As Congress considers next year’s Farm Bill, leaders encouraged farmers to speak out about how crop insurance gives farmers the certainty they need to keep farming.

President’s Budget Recognizes Crop Insurance is Key to Farm Safety Net

The President this week released his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget that fully funds the federal crop insurance program in recognition of the indispensable role that crop insurance plays in the farm safety net.

The release of the FY 2023 Budget follows a letter sent to OMB and the Secretary of Agriculture by 55 farming, banking, and conservation organizations asking that the administration protect crop insurance from harmful budget cuts.

The American Association of Crop Insurers, Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau, Crop Insurance Professionals Association, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, and National Crop Insurance Services released the following joint statement:

“America’s farmers and ranchers feed our nation, grow the fibers that clothe us, and provide an important economic driver for our rural communities. Over the past several years, crop insurance has helped farmers navigate the challenges posed by weather disasters, supply chain disruptions, and uncertain markets. The Administration has recognized the importance of crop insurance as a critical risk management tool by fully funding crop insurance in its FY 2023 budget.

“The crop insurance program works for farmers and taxpayers alike:

  • By delivering aid quickly and efficiently, crop insurance continues to earn the trust of America’s farmers, protecting more than 90 percent of America’s planted crop land acres.
  • Farmers invest in their own protection. Last year, farmers spent $5 billion to purchase crop insurance and then shouldered a significant portion of losses through deductibles.
  • Crop insurance complements farmers’ efforts to invest in conservation and climate-smart farming practices.
  • The federal government spends less than a quarter of 1% of its budget on the farm safety net, including crop insurance, making this a worthwhile investment to protect the world’s most affordable and safe food and fiber supply.

“We appreciate this Administration for fully funding crop insurance in its proposed budget. We urge Congress to follow suit by protecting and strengthening crop insurance.”

For America’s Farmers, Crop Insurance is First Line of Defense Against Climate Change

As farmers face increasing challenges due to climate change, the safety net provided by crop insurance is their first line of defense. This was one of the messages delivered last week at a panel discussion on mitigating the risks of climate change during the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2022 Agricultural Outlook Forum.

National Crop Insurance Services President Tom Zacharias was among the stakeholders who spoke on the need to provide predictable risk management tools to America’s farmers.

“Their success depends on a healthy environment. One weather disaster can drive a family farm out of business,” Zacharias explained.

America’s farmers overwhelmingly turn to crop insurance to manage their risks. In 2021, crop insurance insured more than 460 million acres, providing $137 billion dollars in protection. Farmers invested more than $5 billion of their own money to protect the crops that supply Americans with food and fiber.

“As rural America confronts climate change, it is critical that crop insurance remain just as dynamic as the farmers it protects. To accomplish this, crop insurance needs to be widely available, affordable, financially viable, and adaptable,” Zacharias said.

Crop insurance not only works to protect farmers when disaster strikes, but it also complements efforts to incentivize the voluntary adoption of climate-smart farming practices.  Congress, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), and crop insurers have worked together to improve the voluntary adoption of farming practices that increase resiliency, improve conservation, and support a healthy environment.

David Zanoni, Senior Underwriter at RMA, discussed several of the improvements RMA has already made to accommodate new farming practices, including the requirement that farmers adhere to approved conservation plans to protect highly erodible land and wetlands as well as the use of Good Farming Practices, such as cover crops.

Zanoni noted that as agriculture continues to innovate, crop insurance will, too. “It will be a constant evolution of the product line to deal with the challenges of the day,” he said.

Lance Griff, a third-generation farmer from Twin Falls, Idaho, provided a grower perspective, sharing with the audience how he transitioned to utilizing no-till and cover crops in 2013.

“I wanted to leave healthier soil for my kids if they want to farm,” Griff said. “I also wanted our soil to have more resiliency, to endure weather challenges.”

Crop insurance has earned the trust of farmers like Griff, and it is an important part of their risk management plans.

“Crop insurance is a vital tool we employ to help us plan for the upcoming year and mitigate crop production risks that are inherent to farming. These tools help us to be optimistic and resilient in confronting the challenges that face farmers in the 21st century,” Griff said.

Dr. Julia Borman from Verisk Extreme Event Solutions spoke to the highly unpredictable nature of extreme weather and how probabilistic models can help insurers address the challenge of insufficient historical events. “Unlike events such as fire or theft, which are not highly correlated, weather events such as hurricanes are a low frequency and usually high-cost event, there is a strong correlation, and it’s hard to predict the frequency of claims that are going to happen.”

Weather as a driver of crop failure, as well as long-term climate trends, will continue to be a concern for farmers, insurers, and policymakers, Borman said. “One of the major concerns for the insurance industry is balancing that short-term versus long-term perspective,” she said.

Zacharias concluded his remarks by noting that crop insurance must remain affordable, effective, viable, and adaptable to help America’s farmers secure a more sustainable future.

“Looking forward, we know agriculture has an important role to play in the mission to protect our environment and advance climate-smart policies. And we know that a strong and resilient supply of food and fiber is critical for our economy and for our citizens,” he said.

Vilsack: USDA ‘Laser Focused’ on Crop Insurance Access

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to affordable and flexible crop insurance for the nation’s farmers, ranchers, and producers, according to Secretary Tom Vilsack.

He made his pre-recorded remarks on the second day of the crop insurance industry’s annual convention in California.

“Your work is critical to helping America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers manage the risky, but necessary, business of producing our food, fuel, and fiber that so many take for granted,” he said.

Vilsack said he’s seen historic droughts, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and many other disasters in his time as USDA secretary. He said the farmers, ranchers, and producers who had crop insurance told him it gave them the confidence to rebuild and make it to the next growing season.

“They knew that one bad year, one lost crop, wouldn’t mean losing the family farm or ranch that had been in the family for generations because they had that insurance product, that didn’t necessarily make them whole, but did keep them in the game,” he said.

Before, during, and after disasters, agents, and adjusters help deliver for agriculture. America’s farm policy is the envy of the world, he said.

“And the public-private partnership of Federal crop insurance is one of its key components,” he said.

More and more farmers are choosing to invest in crop insurance, in part, because payments are fast but also because the program continues to innovate. He noted the growth in coverage options for different crops and production systems.

He said USDA is working to help producers effectively manage risk through crop insurance with programs including row crop, whole farm revenue protection, rainfall index programs for forage and dairy safety net services to protect against market fluctuations.

USDA is innovating with new insurance options for small producers who sell locally through the micro farm policy that simplifies record keeping and covers post-production costs. It is also working to make cover crops more affordable.

Data from crop insurance is helping to streamline the process and reduce the burden on producers.

“You all have basically helped provide opportunities and hope to our farm families,” he said.

The agency sees its partnership with crop insurance as the path forward to securing the nation’s food supply.

“At USDA, we are laser focused on making sure that every farmer, rancher, and producer of food, fuel and fiber can access the needed crop insurance tools to manage their operating risk,” he said.

Crop Insurance Basics: Historic Drought Loss

It has been an exceptionally difficult crop year for many of America’s farmers and ranchers as drought conditions in the West and northern Plains have distressed crops and grazing lands. Approximately 210 million acres of crops are experiencing some level of drought conditions.

Millions of farmers trust crop insurance to help manage their risks, including drought, and farmers have already spoken out about the importance of the farm safety net and crop insurance during years like these.

“Many of our risk management programs, like crop insurance, will be vitally important this year for those producers,” National Association of Wheat Growers Executive Director Chandler Goule said after touring drought-stricken wheat fields in the Dakotas and Minnesota. “Most of the producers we’ve talked to…I’m not going to say they were optimistic but very thankful they had crop insurance programs.”

While the full extent of drought damage is yet to be revealed, crop insurers are already engaged with farmers and ranchers on the ground to help them navigate this historic drought. Currently, more than 90 percent of America’s row crop farmland is protected by crop insurance, and we stand at the ready to keep America growing – no matter the size or scope of the disaster.

So, how does crop insurance respond to a historic drought? We don’t need to look very far back in the history books to find the answer.

In 2012, drought gripped America’s heartland, leaving most of the country reeling from at least some level of drought. It was one of the worst disasters to hit American agriculture in decades.

“Going out in the fields… is a thoroughly depressing experience,” Illinois farmer David Andris told National Crop Insurance Services at the time. “If we didn’t have crop insurance…this year might be the end of it for me.”

The decrease in corn production per acre in 2012 was the largest caused by a drought since 1988.

Farmer Robert Geddes emphasized the importance of having crop insurance during 2012 for the “nasty years like this.” Growers in his area had invested a lot into growing the best crop possible, only to see it lost to drought. If farmers didn’t have the safety net provided by crop insurance, “they’d truly be hurting.”

Thankfully, crop insurance performed extremely well. It quickly and efficiently delivered aid to rural America – exactly as Congress designed.

The public-private partnership of crop insurance meant that farmers weren’t left waiting for years for some form of ad-hoc disaster assistance. Private-sector insurance adjusters quickly assessed damage in the field and crop insurance companies worked swiftly to finalize more than one million claims. This gave farmers the certainty to plan for the next planting season.

Not only did crop insurance help farmers and ranchers weather the drought of 2012, ensuring the security of our food and fiber supply, but crop insurance had a positive impact throughout the rural economy.

An economic study commissioned by Farm Credit Services of America found that in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming alone, crop insurance indemnities from the 2012 drought generated enough off-farm income to save 20,900 non-farming jobs.

Our thoughts are with the farmers and ranchers who are currently dealing with this devastating drought. But history shows us that we will face this challenge together – just as we have before.

Responding to Drought: Crop Insurance’s Proven Track Record

As America’s farmers and ranchers face severe drought conditions, we’ve been reflecting on the historic drought that swept across American farmland in 2012. That disaster showed just how efficiently the Federal crop insurance program can deliver aid when everything is on the line for America’s farmers.

Former USDA Under Secretary Michael Scuse commended the crop insurance industry for its response to the 2012 drought saying, “To this day, I have yet to have a single producer call me with a complaint about crop insurance. That is a testament to just how well your agents, your adjusters, the companies, and the Risk Management Agency (RMA) worked together in one of the worst droughts in the history of this nation.”

Crop insurance stepped up then to provide timely claims service and indemnity payments to keep America growing, and we are once again ready to provide critical relief to our producers.

Over the past decade, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have continued to strengthen the successful public-private partnership that defines the Federal crop insurance program. Farmers have come to count on the efficiency of the private sector, and crop insurance companies are continually making additional investments to process claims quickly and accurately.

As a result, more and more farmers have turned to crop insurance to help manage their risks. As the cornerstone of the farm safety net, crop insurance currently insures more than 440 million acres of American farmland. That’s over 157 million more acres protected by crop insurance when compared to the acres covered during the 2012 drought.

However, each of these acres is not affected equally by current drought conditions. While the 2012 drought was widespread across much of the country – affecting approximately 85 percent of corn production – the current drought is much more severe in the West and northern Plains. Fifteen states in the West, High Plains, and portions of the Midwest are experiencing extreme and/or exceptional drought.

“This is definitely the worst crop year we have had since we started farming 35 years ago,” Washington wheat farmer Marci Green recently told ABC News. “Years like this are the reason we have crop insurance.”

No matter where the damage happens, private-sector crop insurance companies are ready to deploy loss adjustment teams, determine losses, and quickly pay claims to growers. In fact, crop insurance adjusters have already been out in the fields for months, appraising crops and educating farmers on the specifics of their individual crop insurance policy.

One of the key strengths of crop insurance is that farmers share in the risk – and the cost – of crop insurance. That means American taxpayers will not be left 100 percent on the hook for the cost of the drought.

Farmers pay insurance premiums to purchase coverage before disaster strikes and, like other lines of insurance, shoulder a portion of losses through their deductible. Private crop insurance companies take on losses as well.

The Federal government plays a role, too. In 2012, the government fulfilled its role as a reinsurer under the terms of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement and stepped in to share in the severe and catastrophic losses.

Each component of the Federal crop insurance program worked together in 2012 to help American agriculture survive in the face of overwhelming disaster.

Now, as America’s farmers and ranchers face yet another historic drought, crop insurance is again working to help farmers on the road to recovery. The Federal crop insurance program has a proven track record of delivering for farmers and ranchers in challenging times, and we will continue to meet that call.

Farmers Emphasize to Congress Importance of Crop Insurance

Farmers from across the country testified last week before a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing examining the efficacy of the farm safety net.

While each grower had a unique story to share, a common thread quickly became clear: America’s farmers depend on the Federal crop insurance program.

Read in their own words what crop insurance means to America’s farmers:

“Crop insurance is a vital tool for farmers, and Congress must not do anything to undermine it.” – Wes Shannon, peanut and cotton farmer in Georgia

“Crop insurance is a cornerstone of my operation. Our ability to market our grain, manage our risks and financially survive depends on crop insurance. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are invested in a growing crop that can be wiped out in one weather event. And there are broader impacts on the ag economy. Considering what farmers spend on ag inputs, machinery, equipment, and crop protection, we must be successful for everyone else. That’s why crop insurance is so critical for our entire industry.” – Jeff Kirwan, corn and soybean farmer in Illinois

“Federal crop insurance is an absolute mainstay to rural Minnesota and farm families like mine. If Washington does anything on farm policy, it should first do no harm to crop insurance.” – Rob Tate, farmer, crop insurance agent, and crop revenue consultant in Minnesota

“I view the Federal crop insurance program to be a fundamental element of the safety net that secures the survival of domestic food production, which I consider to be of critical national importance for all Americans.” – Brian Talley, specialty crop farmer in California

These testimonies reflect the key role that crop insurance plays in the farm safety net. More than 1.1 million Federal crop insurance policies provide more than $100 billion in coverage across more than 380 million acres of farmland in all 50 states. It’s available to farmers of all sizes and more than 130 commodities.

Throughout the hearing, the growers shared their personal experiences with crop insurance and outlined the strengths of the Federal crop insurance program.

Unlike ad hoc disaster bills, which can take years before help arrives, crop insurance delivers assistance for covered losses in just days or weeks. That’s because crop insurance is built on a unique private-public partnership that draws on the efficiency of the private sector to quickly assess damages and determine losses when Mother Nature strikes.

The crop insurance program also gives farmers predictable tools to manage their unique risks. Farmers invest in crop insurance before a disaster – sharing in the risk – and they know how the rules of their policy will help them recover.

Rob Tate also testified that as an agent, he’s seen how important crop insurance is not only for established farmers, but also beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers who need to secure credit and manage their risks.

It’s no wonder that when everything is on the line, America’s farmers turn to crop insurance. Congress must continue to strengthen the crop insurance program and preserve this vital part of the farm safety net.

Celebrating the Incredible Women of Crop Insurance

Last week, as we celebrated Women in History Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted a special conversation to honor the women who work in the crop insurance industry.

Kendall Jones, chair of the National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) and president and CEO of ProAg, and crop insurance agents and industry leaders Iris Sáenz and Pat Swanson participated in the discussion moderated by Richard Flournoy, Acting Administrator of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

Each of the women spoke about their careers in agriculture and the important contributions made by women in the crop insurance industry over the years.

“This industry is led by so many female agents in the field, so many female adjusters, people who do so much hard work,” Jones said. “I’m impressed with so many of the agents that I know today – not only are they running their agencies, they’re helping run farms or running the farms themselves, they have other businesses, they support the industry, their communities… They’re an inspiration to us all.”

Sáenz spoke about how women have always been key to food and farming.

“From the field to the table, women have always played an important role in agriculture. Since Indigenous tribes freely roamed these lands, women have been the primary providers of nourishment for their families and communities. Perhaps that is why many of us here today are inclined to dedicate ourselves to our agricultural communities… that is why it is so important that we, as women, come together to lift each other up.”

It’s important to honor the incredible work of the women in the crop insurance industry – and continue to share the stories of these women to inspire future generations of farmers, ranchers and agents.

Jones advised women who are just beginning their careers to be curious and take risks. Mistakes are inevitable, but with mistakes will also come successes that will build your confidence.

Swanson echoed this advice to be continually curious.

“My biggest advice to everyone… never stop learning. I feel it is so important to continue learning about your industry, about your farmers, about your customers you serve,” she said. “Never be afraid to ask questions.”

While each woman’s story and experience in agriculture has been unique, each found a fulfilling career working in the crop insurance industry and helping America’s farmers and ranchers manage their risks.

“From the cherry orchards in Michigan to the boardroom of the USDA building in Washington, DC, crop insurance has given me endless opportunities along the way,” Sáenz said.

We applaud the women of crop insurance for sharing their inspiring stories and grateful that they are helping continue the legacy of strong women in agriculture.

Crop Insurance Basics: Available to All

In the everyday insurance world, coverage may sometimes be hard to come by.

That can be true if you’ve had a disaster – such as a fire in your home – or live in an area at high risk for disaster. Car insurance coverage may be more expensive or even denied if you are a very young or very old driver, even if you’ve never had to file a claim.

Crop insurance is different.

Under the crop insurance system that has become the centerpiece of America’s farm policy, private-sector insurance providers must offer insurance to growers who are eligible for coverage and want it – regardless of a farm’s size, location, or cropping choice.

Additionally, crop insurers don’t have control over premium setting. A farmers’ rates are calculated and published by the USDA and, unlike other lines of insurance coverage, prices will not fluctuate between insurance providers.

Crop insurers compete on customer service, not price. And they cannot choose to simply do business with well-established farmers from areas that have a history of lower risk crops.

In fact, the crop insurance system must always look for ways to cover more and more farmers. Such inclusivity is a shared responsibility of the public and private sectors, which have partnered to bring additional public and privately augmented insurance options to the marketplace and keep pace with a constantly evolving agricultural sector.

While crop insurance was originally only available to major crops – such as corn, cotton, and wheat – it now offers coverage on 130 different crops, including most fruits and vegetables. Today, more than 1 million insurance policies provide $100 billion in protection to nearly 400 million acres – including about 90 percent of U.S. crop acreage.

And more policies and options are regularly being added through the USDA’s program to encourage new product development, where insurers work along-side farm leaders and researchers to create new and unique policies for everything from alfalfa seed to all-encompassing whole farm revenue protection.

Furthermore, this partnership teams up to deliver in-depth training services across the country for small and socially disadvantaged farmers to strengthen and broaden their familiarity with the inner workings of business planning and risk management strategies.

It’s a system that has married the best of the private sector with the best of government, and the result has been the most effective, popular farm safety net in the history of agriculture.

Crop Insurance Basics: Actuarially Sound

Unless you’re an economist, an insurance guru, or a pension fund manager, chances are good you’re not overly familiar with the term actuarial soundness.

In short, it’s a fancy way of saying “the math must work.”

For example, an actuarially sound pension fund will have enough money in the bank to meet future obligations. If not, and investments made by the fund are overly risky or too conservative – or expenses run amuck – then a whole slew of retirees could be left in the cold.

Federal crop insurance, by law, must be actuarially sound. This ensures that the amount of money in the system is sufficient to meet the costs of paying claims when disaster strikes – and to establish a small reserve for possible extreme losses in the future. To achieve this goal, premium rates are adjusted regularly to reflect current market and crop conditions – a process that requires constant number crunching and research.

This kind of diligence and regular adjustment becomes especially important for those areas where the weather is turning more and more extreme amid climate change. And on the flip side, adjustments can be made to reflect changing conditions that may indicate less risk.

By being actuarially sound, the crop insurance system has a loss ratio performance mandate of “not greater than 1.0” – meaning that over time, indemnity payments paid out to farmers should equal the total premiums invested into the system.

Actuarial soundness has helped the program survive extreme events like the devastating drought in 2012, the worst disaster to hit agriculture since the Dust Bowl. But the system was managed prudently in the preceding years meaning that insurers had reserves to help pay $17 billion in indemnities and keep rural America afloat. The same could be said for the flooding and string of hurricanes seen in recent years.

Things could have turned out much differently had crop insurance not been actuarially sound and historical premiums not been sufficient to cover long-term losses.

That’s why crop insurers invest in actuarial professionals, data collection and analytics. It’s also why decisions made by policymakers carry such huge ramifications for farmers’ most important risk management tool.

Lawmakers must guard against creating new policies that reduce premium rates below future anticipated indemnities, increase risk within the system, or negatively affect the coverage that can be offered. Such policies will likely upset the fine-tuned balance that defines the crop insurance system and makes it affordable, widely available, and economically viable.

In other words, the math must work.

Crop Insurance an Essential Part of Farmers’ Hurricane Preparedness Kits

June 1 marked the beginning of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean and its already off to a roaring start. One month in and three named storms have already affected the United States – two of those storms formed before the season even officially began.

Most recently, Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall in Louisiana, and it will very likely be far from the last storm this year. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a 60 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season.

For those farming in the Gulf and Atlantic states, a hurricane could destroy everything they’ve worked to grow or care for in just one catastrophic event.

But after the floodwaters recede and the winds die down, America’s crop insurance industry will be there to help set them on the road to recovery.

Just as we were there when Irene destroyed Cash Ruane’s corn crop in 2011.

By the time Hurricane Irene reached the picturesque mountains of Vermont, she was only a Tropical Storm but her capacity for destruction was unmatched. Historic flooding left water on Ruane’s fields for more than four days and at one point threatened his cow herd.

Thankfully, Ruane had purchased crop insurance, as he always does, and immediately called his crop insurance agent.

“I had my indemnity payment within 10 days to two weeks,” he said. “I was impressed, because I was expecting two to three months,” he said.

One crop insurance agent based in Maine recalled the following Spring that for many farmers in New England, “crop insurance was the only thing that saved… them from losing their farms to bankruptcy and instead allowed them to return to their fields.”

We were still there the following year when Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast.

Because the unique partnership created by the Federal crop insurance program is able to leverage private sector efficiencies, adjusters were on the ground in just days to assess damages and indemnity checks arrived in weeks, not months.

And crop insurance helped Justin Price when Florence left his soybean crop a total loss in 2018.

“I had been smart in my decision making, and carried crop insurance, which you know that’s not a salvation but it’s a help.”

We don’t know what this year’s hurricane season will bring, but we know that crop insurance will never leave our farmers or ranchers behind. Not when a pandemic strikes and certainly not when a hurricane hits.

The crop insurance industry is proud to provide an affordable, accessible and personalized safety net to America’s farmers and ranchers.

Crop Insurance Backs Farmers During Unprecedented Uncertainty

Crop insurance has been there for rural America through the many uncertainties that farmers and ranchers face every single day. It’s helped agricultural producers survive droughts, tornados, blizzards, floods, low prices, prevented plantings and even volcanos.

Still, over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new and unprecedented challenges as farmers navigate supply chain disruptions and try to predict how this crisis will affect demand for the products they raise. Yet, despite these difficulties, farmers continue their essential work to feed, clothe and fuel our nation.

So, we have no doubt that we will weather this storm, together, as well.

Crop insurance helps manage some of the risk that farmers still face. Because Mother Nature does not abide by stay-at-home orders and droughts, floods and freezes will inevitably occur, regardless of the pandemic.

Now more than ever, as farmers are planting their crops while facing an unpredictable future, crop insurance is a familiar tool, with a track record of success, that farmers can rely on as they work to feed America and the world. And we are proud to be a trusted partner to so many famers across the country, protecting more than 90 percent of planted acres.

Crop insurers, agents and our partners at USDA have been hard at work to support our producers and we are proud to maintain our incredible record of service to the America farmer during these uncertain times.

We are so grateful for rural America’s tireless commitment to ensuring that we have safe, affordable and nourishing food to provide for our families. That’s why, through this pandemic –  and all storms large and small – we’ve got your back.

Farm Bureau Compares Crop Insurance to Ad Hoc Disaster

As Congress continues preparation for the 2018 Farm Bill, rural America continues to voice its support for maintaining a strong crop insurance system.

One of the loudest voices in that chorus belongs to the country’s largest farm organization, the American Farm Bureau Federation.  An active member of the crop insurance coalition, Farm Bureau is working hard to dispel myths about farmers’ most important risk management tool.

And they are churning out useful analysis to help lawmakers make the best decisions possible.  Farm Bureau’s latest analysis compared crop insurance to disaster aid as a means to help farmers rebound after Mother Nature strikes.

Here’s an excerpt from that piece:

There are several benefits of crop insurance over ad-hoc disaster assistance. First, crop insurance provides certainty that in the event of a loss a farmer will be indemnified based on a portion of the value of the crop or livestock. Under crop insurance, farmers know what the losses are and indemnity payments are made directly to the farmer. With ad-hoc disaster packages, the compensation to an eligible farmer or rancher may not reflect the value of the loss….

Second, under crop insurance, when a farmer experiences a loss, an indemnity payment will be made within 30 days following the signing of the final loss paperwork. These claims are finalized through a private-sector delivery system. With ad-hoc disaster payments, the assistance payments may be delayed by several months or years following a loss. For farmers experiencing a revenue decline or a crop loss, timely indemnification provides an opportunity for growers to meet their financial obligations. Farmers do not have this same payment capacity with unanticipated emergency disaster payments. 

Third, under ad-hoc disaster payments, a farmer may not be required to prove a loss on the farm. Rather, farmers growing a specific crop or located in a specific part of the country may be eligible for ad-hoc disaster payments even if a loss was not experienced on the farm. Under crop insurance programs a farmer must suffer a financial loss, relative to the insurance guarantee, to qualify for indemnification  – commonly known in insurance principles as a deductible. This ensures that indemnity payments are targeted to areas impacted by a natural disaster such as a drought, hurricane or flood, and that payments are delivered directly to farmers and ranchers impacted by adverse weather….

At a time when net farm income is at a 12-year low, and after farm programs have already experienced substantial cuts in recent years, now is not the time to turn away from the reliability of the crop insurance program in favor of ad-hoc disaster payments. When Mother Nature is the farmers’ business partner, access to affordable and dependable insurance products remains a critically important component to the financial stability of farmers and the U.S. farm economy.

In other words, “Do no harm to crop insurance in the 2018 Farm Bill.”

Former RMA Administrator Opines on Crop Insurance Critics

Kenneth Ackerman, a former Administrator of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, recently published an article entitled Top Priority for the 2018 Farm Bill: Protect Federal Crop Insurance.

We thought the piece summed up the current political debate surrounding crop insurance well, and wanted to share it more broadly.  Ackerman, who currently works at OFW Law, embodied the term “public-private partnership” when he worked for the government, and, as you can tell, is still a champion of a strong crop insurance system.

Crop insurance critics have a blind spot, seen in the recent CBO report…issued December 2017. At several points, CBO asks whether the cost to taxpayers for the current FCIC program is justified compared with the alternative, that is, simply protecting farmers against unusual disasters by providing what it calls “supplemental assistance,” or what used to be less-delicately labelled “ad hoc disaster bailouts.” CBO ultimately ducks the question. “It is not possible to know,” the report says, “nor are data available,” it argues, and “it is not possible to compare” the two. Here, they are wrong. Data does exist to compare the two approaches. All that’s required to access it is a memory.

Young farmers today probably don’t remember what it was like to be dependent for survival after a natural disaster almost entirely on politicians in Congress working feverishly to produce emergency one-time-only ad hoc rescue packages. These ad hoc bills have largely gone extinct since around 2011 as FCIC crop insurance has replaced them. This accomplishment is no small thing. Even the recent House-passed special emergency bill for 2017’s devastating Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which does provide aid for certain crop losses, links that aid directly to crop insurance participation.

But before 1994, FCIC crop insurance was a tiny program, with participation barely a fourth of modern levels and total guarantees barely a tenth. As a result, every farm disaster required an emergency ad hoc disaster bill. During the decade before 1994, these ad hoc disaster bills averaged about a billion dollars per year, peaking at $4 billion each following the monumental 1988 drought and 1993 flood. These disaster bills, in turn, discouraged farmers from buying coverage.

This was the system that modern crop insurance was designed to replace. The disaster bills at the time were necessary lifelines in the absence of other support, but they were also a nightmare: for farmers, for taxpayers, and for USDA staff trying to administer it. Beyond the sheer uncertainty, a parade of reports from GAO, the Washington Post and other newspapers, and Congressional oversight committees disclosed legions of mis-payments and program abuses, not the fault of farmers or agency staff but simply the fact that USDA was required to implement these bulky, multibillion-dollar programs with little notice and inadequate infrastructure, the result of being, in fact, ad hoc.

FCIC crop insurance, unlike disaster aid, is a business model that rewards farmers for being good managers and good businessmen. Claims are paid reliably in 30 days after being filed, based on stable, pre-set contracts. Farmers purchase their coverage, paying good money from their own pockets, yes at subsidized rates, but still large enough to force them to make serious choices about risk. Producers who keep good production records enjoy better guarantees, and those who incorporate crop insurance into business plans linked with credit, banking, precision agriculture, and related risk-management tools like forward contracting and futures and options, do even better. For farmers who pre-contract their crops to processors, FCIC policies are often designed to incorporate those contacts seamlessly with their coverages. No wonder that private lenders today routinely require crop insurance as a condition of extending credit, as do other rural businesses.

The “reforms” that claim to “fix” crop insurance, be it through means testing, eliminating coverages like the Harvest Price Option, or similar steps, all work against the program’s basic strength, its business basis reflected in established systems for underwriting and rating.

Farm Credit Services Report Touts Crop Insurance

Crop insurance saved nearly 21,000 jobs in four states during one of the worst droughts in two decades, according to a report from Farm Credit Services of America.

The 20-page paper breaks down the history of the crop insurance program from the start in 1930s, with the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, to expansions in the 1980s and 1990s after a string of unbudgeted disaster relief bills strained federal coffers.

The paper says farmers have plenty of “skin in the game” when it comes to crop insurance and their participation helps minimize risk exposure for taxpayers.

FCS provides a step-by-step guide to the public-private partnership that makes the crop insurance program efficient when it comes to covering losses. It also highlights key points including the fact that private companies sell the insurance products and that farmers, like all other insurance customers, pay deductibles and premiums.

But the story of the drought of 2012 is where the paper really shines in showing just how important crop insurance is to keeping America’s food, clothing and fuel supplies secure.

The drought was a devastating hit in a year that was supposed to be favorable for planting. Corn, soybean and hay production declined throughout that summer as the drought intensified.

Corn production was down more than 29 percent and soybeans fell 6 percent. The low yields were coming on a year that started with low beginning stocks, the report notes, and tight U.S. and global supplies.

Projected prices rose in anticipation of short supplies. Farmers faced low yields and ended up facing big expenses to buy crops at higher prices to fulfill forward marketing obligations and to feed on-farm livestock.

Crop insurance helped cover the shortfall and saved 20,900 jobs across Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, with an annual labor income of $721.2 million, according to the report.

That’s money that ended up in Main Street shops and restaurants. Money that allowed farmers to continue to pay the bills and get ready for the next season even after a disaster like the drought of 2012.

And best of all, farmers didn’t have to go to Congress for an ad-hoc relief bill – just like Congress designed.

“Crop insurance kept me farming,” farmer Denny Marzen, of Iowa, said in the report. “It’s a business tool I use with my marketing program and to help me deal with Mother Nature.”

ICYMI: Maine farmers know crop diversity is key to success. Our farm policies should reflect that

Bangor Daily News
December 13, 2016

“Diversify, diversify, diversify.” This is the mantra of most financial advisors—a popular approach to protect investors in the face of volatile market swings.

The same strategy also has served agriculture—another unpredictable market-quite well.

Here in Maine, we have established one of the most diverse agriculture “portfolios” in the nation. Growing everything from potatoes to apples and plenty of things in between, our farmers contribute more than $825 million to our state’s economy every year.

It’s exciting to see the potential that this diversified approach holds for the future of farming.

But those in agriculture face challenges that are simply incomparable to other industries. Farmers certainly can’t control the weather, which is often unforgiving, and they also have no sway over markets or the moves of foreign competitors. So it is essential that we have a safety net that protects the small percentage of individuals we enlist to feed and clothe our nation.

Unfortunately, the kind of crop diversification in Maine has not always been reflected in farm policy discussions. Farm policies of the past often focused primarily on a few crops commonly grown in the South and Midwest, while leaving others, such as specialty crops like blueberries, for example, with little support.

That’s no longer the case thanks to improvements to crop insurance. Now, crop insurance is available for more than 130 commodities and has more than 62,000 county-crop programs. Premium support discounts are the same across commodities for each plan of insurance.

This has translated into more farmers from outside the traditional farm country purchasing risk protection. Here in Maine, for example, there has been a more than 20 percent increase in acres insured over the past decade, providing the state’s farmers nearly $30 million in additional protection, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Overall, almost 90 percent of farm acres in the U.S. are covered by crop insurance.

For many farmers, crop insurance offers peace of mind. A crop insurance check will never come close to what a farmer will reap from a good harvest, but it does help them keep farming year after year. And for our beginning farmers, crop insurance is even more critical. It would be almost impossible to receive the needed credit from financial institutions without some assurance that beginning farmers would be able to pay it back if a natural disaster struck.

Taxpayers have benefited as well. Prior to the emergence of crop insurance as the top risk management tool for farmers, natural disasters regularly resulted in very expensive, unbudgeted ad hoc disaster bills from Congress. Now, when disaster strikes, farmers receive an indemnity check.

But just to be clear, crop insurance is not a handout—it’s far from it. To gain coverage, farmers have to put skin in the game. In fact, since 2000, farmers have spent $48 billion out of their own pockets to purchase crop insurance protection. They only collect an indemnity after they have suffered a verifiable loss and fallen below their guarantee.

It’s a win-win for both farmers and taxpayers, yet some farm policy critics would like to send us back to the days of unbudgeted, taxpayer-funded and after-the-fact disaster aid. Legislative proposals like those presented during the last Farm Bill negotiations to limit participation and cap insurance benefits to some farmers would disproportionately affect specialty crop growers and organic farmers whose crops tend to have higher values and therefore are more likely to have higher premiums for coverage. That’s a really bad idea, especially when you consider how important crop insurance is to allowing our producers to stay competitive with the rest of the world.

Crop insurance treats all farmers equally, regardless of operation, size, region, or crop. For Maine farmers, in particular, it is crucial that we protect this safety net that does not discriminate.

E.J. Dorsey is a crop insurance agent with United Insurance in Fort Fairfield. He has more than 22 years experience in the crop insurance field.

ICYMI: Insure our food supply and our economy

The Desert Sun
February 14, 2016

If you have a car, you have auto insurance to protect against property and bodily harm. If you own a house, regardless of its size, you have insurance to guard against costly damage. Chances are good you have policies on your health and even your life, too.

These forms of insurance are common, and as such, people have a high degree of familiarity with them. However, few people realize that the food on their table remains affordable thanks, in part, to insurance protection. Or that America’s food security is improved by insurance because it helps U.S. farmers manage risk.

Crop insurance, which underpins the nation’s agricultural bounty, works like other kinds of insurance, and it is particularly important in a state like California that has such a diverse and thriving agricultural sector. In fact, for most fruit and vegetable growers it is the only safety net available.

This insurance is what helped many California farmers bounce back after the recent drought and plant another year, just as it does following freezes and other natural disasters.

The 2014 Farm Bill made big investments in making the system work better for specialty crop growers in states like California. For example, the new Whole Farm Revenue Protection policy enables a grower to insure his or her entire farm instead of having to buy individual policies for each and every fruit and vegetable planted. This new policy is not crop specific, and now crops like dates, spinach, melons, and other specialty crops may be insured if the producer has at least five years of history growing that commodity.

Thanks to these investments, Californians now have $8.7 billion worth of crops protected on more than 6.8 million acres – including almonds, grapes, pistachios, walnuts, rice, and tomatoes to name a few. It’s no wonder then that the crop insurance industry chose the state as the site of its annual convention.

This week, hundreds of agricultural and insurance industry leaders will be in Riverside County to discuss new developments in crop insurance protection and challenges agriculture will face in years to come. Chief among those challenges will be constant political attacks against farmers.

Despite crop insurance’s risk-sharing structure that minimizes taxpayer cost, there are critics who want to undermine it and are floating proposals to cap coverage and publicly shame farmers, which would disproportionately hit specialty crop growers. But like other USDA programs, crop insurance needs to be widely available to protect all farmers, big or small, no matter what they produce.

These attempts are particularly appalling in a region like the Coachella Valley, where agriculture is such an important economic driver and where the community does so much to aid the underprivileged through farm-to-table programs like Hidden Harvest.

Agriculture’s opponents can be rebuffed if all of agriculture will pull together to defend its way of life. Coordination and communication will be key to confronting our critics, and ideas for working together and delivering a unified message to lawmakers will be our top priority at the annual meeting this week.

About the author: Thomas P. Zacharias, Ph.D., is president of National Crop Insurance Services, the Kansas-based trade association hosting this week’s convention.

Crop Insurance is Money Well Spent by Farmers

Many folks might not realize this, but the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill was a turning point in American history, from an agricultural perspective. Largely gone are the days of government support programs like direct payments. In their place, and at the center stage of farm risk management tools, is crop insurance.

I had a chance to learn the value of crop insurance first-hand when my cousin and I rented our first farm together in 2012. We’ve been farming with our family for many years, but felt it was time to expand out and grab some of our own. Of course, little did we know that the year we kicked off our farming careers would soon become the driest year in decades. We lost all of our dryland crops, roughly forty percent of our acres that year. Thankfully, we had purchased crop insurance.

Unlike days of old, crop insurance is not a federal handout. In fact, if farmers want to enjoy the protection provided by crop insurance, they must purchase it. And they do so willingly, spending roughly $4 billion per year out of their own back pockets on crop insurance premiums alone.

For most beginning farmers, crop insurance is nearly a necessity, since banks are hesitant to make loans to farmers who lack sufficient collateral. Crop insurance allows banks the opportunity to increase lending capabilities with the security of crop insurance. That’s because with a crop insurance policy in hand, banks feel more secure making those loans to farmers, since there’s a guarantee of revenue even if the crop fails.

Crop insurance is a public-private partnership whereby individual farmers like me can buy policies for insurance that is specifically tailored for our tolerance to risk and the profile of our farm. Crop insurance is affordable to farmers, thankfully, because the federal government provides a discount, ensuring that all farmers, young and old, big and small, can purchase policies if they choose to.

Farmers buy crop insurance for the same reason drivers purchase auto insurance: it offers some degree of stability in times of disaster. Crop insurance has become, in essence, the nation’s insurance policy for the food supply. When Mother Nature strikes and farmers lose their crops, those with crop insurance policies in hand can bounce back and plant again the next year.

Crop insurance has also removed some of the financial risk from taxpayers. Prior to the rise of modern day crop insurance, the wide-scale disaster that we experienced with the great drought of 2012 would have necessitated a very expensive, ad hoc disaster bill from Congress. Those bills are big and are fully funded by taxpayers.

And while anything is better than nothing when you literally lose the farm, those disaster funds usually took a year or more to arrive in the hands of farmers who needed them. In my case when I lost forty percent of my crop in 2012, a year would have been much too late.

Crop insurance, on the other hand, is administered by private insurance companies and the indemnity arrives in weeks or a month or two, not years later. The crop insurance policy I purchased not only allowed me and my cousin to pay back our production loan, but also meet our forward contracting obligations. And we were able to bounce back and plant the next year. That’s a smart public policy because it ensures food security for our nation.

Of course crop insurance has its critics, and their sights are squarely on crop insurance, since it’s really the only game in town. And that’s why it’s important for farmers to speak up and let their elected officials know how much they value this risk management tool.

Needless to say, if we hadn’t purchased crop insurance our first year of farming, my cousin and I would be spending years paying off that production loan. And without this valuable risk management tool available, I’d venture to say many more of America’s farmers would have been joining us.

Scott Reilly is a farmer and crop insurance agent who lives in Spalding, Nebraska. This op-ed appeared in the Albion News on February 3, 2016.

Higginsville, S.C. Farmer: Crop insurance policies are crucial for farmers

As someone who has spent more than four decades managing a fourth-generation farm and the past 10 years building my family’s crop insurance agency, I believe I have valuable perspective worth sharing regarding how essential today’s Federal crop insurance policies are to America’s farmers and consumers.

Specifically, I would like to explain how essential the harvest price option has become to the modern agricultural producer. The harvest price option insures a crop at its actual harvest-time value.

Think of it like a homeowner’s insurance policy: If your home appreciates in value after you purchase it, you are protected at the home’s current value if it burns down and you have to rebuild.

Unfortunately for agriculture, this policy that makes rebuilding possible has come under fire from those who misunderstand the unique risks for farmers who are constantly exposed to the ravages of Mother Nature.

It is important to note that farmers pay an additional premium for this type of protection, and it supports their risk management in two distinct ways. First, a farmer often prices a large percentage of his anticipated — or before-harvest — crop using forward price contracts with a local elevator.

If a natural disaster strikes and causes production to fall short of the quantity sold, the farmer would need to purchase enough of the crop to fulfill his contractual obligation. In the meantime, the price of the commodity likely will have increased because of the overall drop in production after the disaster.

Consequently, the remaining crop available to purchase is priced much higher than what was covered under the spring contract.

By purchasing the harvest price option as part of his crop insurance policy, the farmer is able to meet his contractual obligations either by buying grain to deliver under the contract or by making a financial settlement with the purchaser.

A second way the harvest price option becomes essential to producers is if the grain being produced is intended to support the farm’s future animal feed needs. If a natural disaster destroys the grain that is to be harvested, then the producer will be forced to purchase feed instead. If there is a widespread short crop, the feed costs will be much higher.

With the harvest price option on the producer’s crop insurance policy, the farmer will be paid the actual harvest price on his lost production. This, in turn, allows him to purchase the feed needs for his livestock operation and still maintain a viable business.

In fact, allowing farmers to maintain a viable business when the unexpected happens is what crop insurance is all about. The beneficiary is not just the farmer, but also the American consumer.

Crop insurance enables farm families such as mine to pick up the pieces after a disaster and continue to produce food and fiber without significant price increases or supply shortages for consumers.

The fact that Americans spend less of their disposable income on food than any other country speaks volumes as to how critical it is that farmers have risk-management tools such as crop insurance.

The critics would do well to try to understand the link between a viable crop insurance program and an affordable, stable food supply before proposing measures that would destroy it — in other words, before biting the hand that feeds them.

Gary Riekhof is a farmer and crop insurance agent from Higginsville.  This op-ed appeared in The Columbia Tribune Saturday, June 6, 2015. 

Farmers Grow Florida Jobs, Crop Insurance Protects Them

Pop quiz: Next to tourism, what Florida industry is the state’s largest employer?

The answer isn’t healthcare, transportation, technology or even government.  Agriculture is Florida’s second biggest job supplier, according to the University of Florida.

“Two million jobs can be traced to the state’s agriculture, natural resources and related food industries — and not just on our 47,500 farms.  Income from $142 billion in annual sales gets spent around the state to create jobs in restaurants, department stores and car dealerships, too,” Jack Payne of the University’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences said during a recent media interview.

Despite their importance, farmers and all they support are at the mercy of a multitude of uncontrollable forces.

A year of hard work and investment can be wiped out in an instant by a late-season hurricane, an early frost or an unexpected outbreak of insects or plant disease.

And the ever-looming prospect of a changing climate could be “potentially catastrophic,” according to Payne, as it wreaks havoc on water supplies, soil conditions and land use.

So how do farmers gain some control over the uncontrollable and add stability to the region’s economy?

Crop insurance is key.

Farmers purchase protection from weather disasters and price volatility, while private-sector insurers underwrite policies, verify claims and speed assistance to farmers when it is needed most.

The government, in turn, helps discount premiums to promote farmer participation and shield taxpayers from unbudgeted disaster aid that would be necessary without the private-sector insurance structure.

Crop insurance was long viewed as a tool primarily used by corn, soybean and wheat farmers in the nation’s midsection.  But lately, specialty crop participation along the coasts is growing and insurance protection is available on more than 100 different crops nationwide.

More than $1.3 billion in annual insurance protection is being purchased for Florida orange trees alone with another half a billion for nursery crops.  And thank goodness farmers are purchasing these policies.

In the back-to-back disaster years of 2004 and 2005, for example, more than $400 million in indemnity checks flowed to farmers in the state to help them pick up the pieces following hurricanes.

More can be done, too, to make insurance even more attractive to Florida’s farming community and help growers buy higher coverage levels to shield against tomorrow’s disasters.

The 2014 Farm Bill took initial steps by strengthening insurance for organic growers and making it more accessible for beginning farmers.  Other provisions boosted protection for livestock producers and will help bring new insurance products to the marketplace.

From Feb. 8-11, leaders from the crop insurance industry, American agriculture and the federal government will be at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs to discuss risk protection in the 21st century and what can be done to continually improve the system.

Among the key discussion points: Keeping crop insurance affordable for all farmers regardless of their size or planting choices; ensuring widespread availability of insurance across all states and numerous crops; and maintaining the viability of private-sector delivery, which is far more efficient and effective than a government-managed alternative.

It is a packed agenda, and as the cornerstone of today’s farm policy, crop insurers have a lot to discuss.  However, I fully expect us to do our part in supporting the other major Florida employer – tourism – while we are in town.

Tom Zacharias is president of National Crop Insurance Services, based in Overland Park, Kan.  The guest column appeared on February 6, 2015 in the Fort Meyers News-Press and is available

12 Essential Strengths of Crop Insurance

With the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, crop insurance became the single most important risk management tool for America’s farmers and ranchers.  Crop insurance helps make America’s farmers and ranchers world leaders in agriculture, allowing producers to stay competitive and be more innovative.  It also helps them sleep better at night knowing that, should the unexpected happen, they will have the financial security to stay in business and go on to plant the next season.

As Nebraska farmer Quentin Bowen noted in an op-ed that appeared Lincoln Journal, “The speed of delivery of crop insurance — because it’s administered by private-sector companies — makes it a different kind of animal. In fact, if a natural disaster strikes and I’m covered by a crop insurance policy, typically the payment comes to me in one or two weeks, not in one or two years. Because of that speed of delivery, I can quickly recover from the loss and replant the field, garnering myself some needed income for the year and putting some food on the tables for consumers.

An available, affordable and viable Federal crop insurance program is a key component to the tremendous success of our country’s agricultural economy.  There are twelve reasons why crop insurance is an essential business tool for America’s agricultural producers.  Essential strength number one is “Producers Receive Individualized Risk Management Solutions.” Most farm programs are, in general, similar across all crops and producers, despite variations in an individual farmer’s operations. However, crop insurance allows farmers to customize their plans and coverage to accurately reflect individual losses and their unique yields or risk.  To review the twelve essential strengths and watch real testimonials as to why they are important in the real world, click here.

Crop Insurance One Way to Help Protect Farmers

Right before our very eyes, the nation’s specialty crop capital has turned into the nation’s frozen food section, as the San Joaquin Valley suffered several consecutive nights of freezing temperatures. While the extent of the damage to some crops could take weeks to assess, one thing is clear: Some farmers will take a big loss.

Loss is common in agriculture, and there has been a lot of it lately, though most of it was not here in California. In 2011, we saw a freeze in Florida that hit the citrus crop, then Midwestern droughts, floods in the South and even hurricanes. Last year started off looking like a banner year but morphed into the worst U.S. drought in decades. Much of the Midwest is still suffering.

Thankfully, most farmers are protected by crop insurance, a backstop for when the bottom falls out. Crop insurance helps farmers manage risk. It combines the public sector with the competitiveness of the private sector. Farmers buy policies that are partially underwritten by the government, but the private sector services the policies and pays off when the farmers takes a loss.

For many farmers, particularly the thousands who grow specialty crops, crop insurance is the only risk-management tool available. Most of the growers I know buy crop insurance every year, yet nine times out of 10 they don’t collect a dime.

It’s not cheap. In fact, some growers spend $100,000 on policies they seldom use. Those who say farmers are getting rich off crop insurance, do the math.

When there’s a natural disaster, losses can be steep. If a farmer loses his entire crop to disease or disaster, many could go under without a backup plan. That plan is crop insurance.

California’s citrus industry is a window into the national crop insurance program and how it works. It was first introduced after a devastating freeze in 1990. Initially, growers were hesitant to spend large sums for protection. But participation has grown over time as premiums dropped.

The growth of crop insurance is a testament to the market and the dedication and professionalism of those who service the plans.

But there are those in Washington who will take the failure to pass a four-year farm bill and use it as an opportunity to eviscerate crop insurance. Every day I speak to California farmers, who, like farmers elsewhere, are worried about what would happen if their only risk management tool is weakened or eliminated.

Their message is to “do no harm to crop insurance.” If Congress feels the need to revisit the program, it should only be to strengthen it and expand the number of crops it covers.

California agriculture generates more than $37 billion a year. Sixty percent of our farms are less than 50 acres, just one indicator of the growing number of specialty crop operations. California needs specialty crops, and specialty crops need insurance.

 

Jordan Roach is the CEO of Global Ag Insurance Services in Fresno, the only crop insurance provider headquartered in California.

This op-ed appeared in the Modesto Bee on February 8, 2013.

 

Crop Insurance Will Help Missouri Farmers Plant Again Next Year

It’s no big secret that Missouri is facing its worst drought in 30 years. This has had a catastrophic impact on the state’s farm and livestock sector, prompting Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to declare every county in the state a disaster area in July. And while tropical storm Isaac brought us some much-needed rain, every county in the state remains in some level of drought.

As a Missouri farmer, I can tell you that there are few disappointments in life bigger than losing a crop. The loss not only robs you of the income that it should bring – especially with commodity prices at record highs – but also robs you of the joy of the harvest, which is what we farmers are all about.

If I hadn’t purchased a crop insurance policy this year to help me through an event like this, I possibly wouldn’t be able to farm again next year. But that’s the main reason why the federal government teamed up with the private sector years ago to form this public-private partnership that helps farmers manage their risk while shielding taxpayers from expensive farm disaster bailouts.

Droughts like this don’t happen often, but they do happen. And when they happened in the past – before crop insurance was widely available and affordable for most farmers – Congress responded with expensive ad hoc disaster bills. In fact, these disaster bills totaled $45 billion from FY1989 to FY2001.

They don’t call Missouri the “Show Me State” for nothing, and crop insurance has proven its value. Last year, although conditions here were fairly good, there was a string of natural disasters across the rest of the country – from freezes to floods to hurricanes and even wildfires – that left many farms in shambles. And despite these disasters, there wasn’t a single call for a federal farm bailout, because roughly 84 percent of all eligible land was protected by crop insurance.

Crop insurance isn’t cheap for farmers, who have forked over $4 billion out of our own pockets this year to purchase policies, which protect 128 different crops from a wide variety of natural disasters.

This is a great example of the federal government and the private sector working hand in hand for the common good of the country and the food, feed, fuel and fiber supply. In this unique partnership, farmers purchase crop insurance policies – that are partially underwritten by the federal government – and they only receive an indemnity if they incur actual losses. The crop insurance system is efficient, because it is sold, serviced and delivered by the private sector.

In fact, in years past, federal aid for farm disasters like the one we’re in would have taken months or years to get into the hands of the farmers. Compare that to crop insurance, which has been delivering indemnities to farmers as they filed their claims, and thus far this year has put more than $2 billion into the hands of farmers who suffered losses.

Agriculture is certainly a very risky business, which means that banks are often hesitant to lend to farmers, particularly those who are just starting off. But farmers who purchase crop insurance are deemed a much lower risk by the banks, who count the crop insurance indemnity as collateral for the loan.

As disagreeable as things might seem sometimes in Washington, D.C., the fact that crop insurance is a quintessential risk management tool for farmers is one of the few things that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on. And farmers made their feelings on the issue quite clear earlier this year when they delivered a unified message to Congress regarding the upcoming Farm Bill: “Do no harm to crop insurance.”

Of course, there are those who would like to see all farm programs cut, either because of their dislike of government spending or their dislike of family farming. They charge that farmers would rather collect a crop insurance indemnity than harvest a crop. Imagine if a similar charge was leveled against someone who purchased car insurance. Can anyone really believe that people purposely crash their cars to collect the indemnity?

If rains don’t come this winter, we could be looking at the second year of this. Mother Nature strikes in cycles, so that possibility isn’t entirely out of the question. But there are things that we can count on. And at the top of that list is this country’s crop insurance system, which will allow farmers like me who take a beating this year to come back to the table again next year for another try.

Jeremie Nothdurft is fourth generation farmer from Gordonville, Missouri who raises corn, soybeans and wheat on the family’s 1,200 acre farm. This op-ed appeared in the Kansas City Star on Sunday, October 28, 2012.

New NCIS Video Highlights Critical Role Adjusters Play

“Some of the same people who had to deal with the floods last year along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are now dealing with the opposite – extreme drought,” says Calamus, Iowa, claims manager David Bousselot, in a new NCIS video.

The video highlights the critical role that many of the 5,000 claims adjusters play in helping farmers pick up the pieces after the worst drought in decades, with $3.6 billion already in the hands of farmers. “The adjuster is the connection with the producer,” says Bousselot.

Throughout most of the summer, more than 60 percent of the continental U.S. was locked in drought, which sent corn and soybean yields plummeting.

“I think it was a combination of the lack of moisture and the heat we had in early July that just cooked the corn,” says claims adjuster Tim Totheroh of Wellington, Illinois.

Bousselot notes that many adjusters have also farmed, and thus fully understand the pinch farmers find themselves in when Mother Nature strikes. “Getting the money back to them in the quickest way we can is the service we provide,” he added.

To date, more than 405,000 claims have been indemnified, with many more expected. In 2012, farmers will invest more than $4.1 billion to purchase more than 1.2 million crop insurance policies, protecting more than 281 million acres of crops.

Robert Geddes, a farmer from Hoopeston, Illinois, explains that after he experienced his first drought as a farmer, he had a chat with a local adjuster and has been purchasing crop insurance ever since. “It’s in the nasty years like this that it really helps,” he said. “If you miss a crop, things will go downhill for a farmer in a hurry,” he added.

The video underscores both the need of crop insurance and the efficiency of the public-private partnership, which makes crop insurance affordable while also being universally available. More than 128 different crops can be protected by crop insurance. These range from major commodities like corn and soybeans to specialty crops ranging from apples to cherries to asparagus. Crop insurance can also be purchased for livestock.

Keeping Crop Insurance Strong

The 2012 budget will likely include modifications and reductions to the farm safety net. Policy makers should consider 12 essential strengths that make crop insurance the corner stone of the farm safety net programs. In this on-going series, we’ll introduce one strength of crop insurance per month and explain how the sum of these strengths has given us the successful program we have today.

Strength: Producers receive crop insurance indemnities in the timeliest way.

Although some farm programs make payments fairly quickly – such as marketing loan benefits – others pay out long after the actual payment is needed.

For example, final countercyclical and Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) payments for the 2010 spring planted crops will be made no earlier than October, 2011. Payments for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) may occur about one and a half years after harvest.

Crop insurance, on the other hand, pays out its indemnities very close to when the losses occur – the very time when farmers need the money the most. In fact, companies make indemnity payments usually within 30 days of claim settlement. Losses from natural disasters, prevented planting and replants are sometimes paid before harvest.

Issue Brief: Crop Insurance

Issue Summary:

Having a strong agricultural sector that provides an abundant and affordable supply of food and fiber is key to any country’s security, which explains why most countries have farm policies in place to help promote and sustain domestic production.

A key component to America’s food, fiber, and farm policy is crop insurance, a public-private partnership that has constantly evolved and improved over the years. Today’s crop insurance system marries the best of government and the business community to speed assistance to farmers when they need it the most while limiting taxpayer exposure.

Recent weather disasters underscore crop insurance’s importance and explain why many farmers consider it their most important risk management tool. In fact, for producers of many specialty crops, crop insurance is the only risk management tool available.

Policy Overview:

There are 15 private sector insurance companies that currently sell and service policies through the federal crop insurance program. These companies are regulated by law and through a contractual agreement with the government that ensures coverage is available to any grower who wants insurance regardless of geographic location or risk.

Altogether, these companies issued more than 1.1 million policies in 2010. To make sure premiums are affordable and policies are abundant, the federal government helps underwrite a portion of the premiums for policies purchased by individual farmers. Without some government involvement, there would likely be little or no multiple peril crop insurance available today.

Should damages occur during a growing season, losses are determined by private loss adjusters, quickly followed by policyholders receiving their payments from private insurance companies.

Approximately 80 percent of U.S. principal crop acreage was enrolled in crop insurance, with 256 million acres under policies worth $80 billion in total coverage.

Federal funding for crop insurance has been drastically trimmed in recent years, with more than $12 billion in cuts made since the 2008 farm bill. Many in the crop insurance business worry that additional cuts would so weaken the infrastructure that the program could not function as Congress intended or as farmers need.

And without an effective risk management structure in place, taxpayers would wind up footing the bill for expensive ad hoc disaster packages following adverse events. Most experts agree that without some government support, there would be little or no multiple peril crop insurance available today.

Policy Strengths:

Crop insurance ensures that producers share in risk management decisions and program costs: Because producers pay part of the premium and purchase the specific type of policy that exactly fits their needs, crop insurance ensures a very tailored approach to risk management.

Crop insurance is important for securing loans: Banks can be hesitant in making loans to farmers, particularly to smaller producers, because the risks are inherently high. Banks regard a crop insurance policy as collateral in making what might otherwise be a very risky, and costly loan to farmers who need to raise capital.

Crop insurance benefits from efficient private-sector delivery: Crop insurance combines the accessibility of the public sector with the efficiency of the private sector in ensuring that covered farmers who face catastrophe receive the proper level of payments in a timely manner. This can mean the difference between staying in business another year or going under for many farm families.

Proponents of Crop Insurance:

Crop insurance has enjoyed widespread public recognition and support. In fact, its biggest detractors seem to be libertarians, who argue for the end of most government programs.

Unfortunately, without some government involvement, crop insurance policies would be too expensive for farmers to purchase, and it would be too costly for insurance companies to offer universally available multi-peril coverage.

What They’re Saying:

“Failure to anticipate an imminent downturn in the agricultural economy by not maintaining farm policies through the farm bill and crop insurance… would, in time, prove penny wise and pound foolish.”
— A letter to House Budget Committee from nearly 30 farm groups.

“Most farmers now see [crop insurance] as a primary tool for risk management. An important tool for risk management.”
— USDA Chief Economist Joseph Glauber

“It’s just a real good risk management tool. We’re able to have famers pay part of the premium and have government pay part of the premium to make it affordable and it just ensures that if we have tough weather – especially like we’re having now – lots of wildfires in Texas and a lot of flooding in the Midwest, that farmers are able to indeed get enough assistance that they can farm for another year.”
–Mary Kay Thatcher, American Farm Bureau Federation,
Senior Director of Congressional Relations.

“Farm policy in general, and crop insurance in particular, will help weather-ravaged growers pick up the pieces and farm another day. It does so for less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the federal budget..”
— Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union

“Farmers like me need to have access to affordable risk management tools to better mitigate the impact of significant crop losses and sharp price declines. This is why the upcoming farm bill is so important. It is not about providing income to the less than 2% of the American population. It is about insuring that the same 2% can continue to provide affordable food for the other 98% of Americans who rely on them.”
— Testimony Of Clark Gerstacker,
Michigan Farmer, Before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee

“For 80 years now, we’ve been providing a safety net that helps people stay in business so that they’ll have a chance to try again next year. Without it, there’s no doubt we would have higher food prices.”
— Joe Outlaw, co-director of the Agriculture and Food Policy Center,
Texas A&M University

Useful Links:

National Crop Insurance Services