A Personalized Plan

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There are more than two million farms in the United States, and each one is different. America’s farmers and ranchers raise a wide variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, fiber, and livestock to feed and clothe America.

Each of these farms has a different risk profile, requiring a unique risk management plan.

Some are multi-generational farms with secure lines of credit, while others are brand-new farms.

There are farmers growing row crops, such as corn and soybeans, and there are farmers growing specialty crops, such as fresh produce or nuts. Some farmers and ranchers raise livestock or grow forage for feed.

Even the possibility of disaster is different from farm to farm, ranging from drought to derechos and hail storms to hurricanes.

That’s why crop insurance provides farmers with a personalized plan.

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 thousands of crop insurance options, policies, and products for farmers to choose from.

For example, a farmer growing row crops might choose a Revenue Protection plan that provides protection against a loss of revenue caused by low prices, low yields, or both. On the other hand, a farmer who is growing many different types of vegetables or other specialty crops may choose to purchase Whole Farm Revenue Protection. This policy allows farmers to insure a variety of crops at once.

In both scenarios, farmers receive crop insurance coverage at a discount, but must still pay 30-40% of their premium. The coverage that a farmer chooses determines how much of a discount they receive. If farmers choose to take on more risk through lower crop insurance coverage, then they will receive a smaller discount.

Crop insurance also helps beginning farmers and ranchers take on the challenges of farming by providing them with an additional premium discount.

Farmers then receive assistance only in the event of a verified loss. They must also pay a deductible based on the amount of coverage they have chosen.

In other words, farmers share in the cost of their own safety net, acting as a deterrent to risky behavior.

When purchasing crop insurance prior to planting, farmers work with a trained and licensed private-sector crop insurance agent. The crop insurance agent works to understand the entire picture of the farm, and any potential perils, and then helps the farmer select the appropriate crop insurance coverage.

Crop insurance agents are an essential part of the process. South Carolina agent Ben Tillman became a crop insurance agent because he was passionate about helping farmers.

“With crop insurance, in my experience, it’s more of a personal relationship. It’s not just a business relationship. We try and take a consultative approach with our farmers and make sure they understand exactly how crop insurance works and really be a voice for them.”

By providing a personalized risk management plan, crop insurance acts as a safety net for all American farmers. No wonder crop insurance is trusted by farmers and ranchers in all 50 states.

President’s Budget Reaffirms Crop Insurance is Critical to Farm Safety Net

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President Joe Biden released a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget last week 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 2024 Budget follows a letter sent to OMB and the Secretary of Agriculture by more than 60 farming, banking, and conservation organizations asking that the administration protect crop insurance from harmful budget cuts.

“As the challenges for America’s farmers and ranchers continue to grow, we believe crop insurance as a safety net is only becoming more important to stability in rural America. During this tumultuous time, one of the few certainties that farmers could rely on was the protection provided by the Federal crop insurance policy purchased with their hard-earned dollars,” the organizations wrote.

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 the President’s FY 2024 budget:

“Crop insurance protects more than 490 million acres of farmland and empowers farmers with the tools they need to manage the risks of farming. As agriculture faces new and increased challenges, including the threat of climate change, crop insurance is a front-line defense for our national food security. The administration has recognized the importance of crop insurance as a critical part of the farm safety net by fully funding crop insurance in its FY 2024 budget.

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

  1. Delivering aid quickly and efficiently through private-sector crop insurers, giving farmers the confidence and the capital necessary to navigate disaster.
  2. Requiring farmers to invest in their own protection. 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.

“We appreciate President Biden and his administration for fully funding crop insurance in its proposed budget. We urge Congress to follow suit by protecting and strengthening crop insurance so that it works for more farmers, more crops, and more acres.”

Congressional Ag Leaders Praise Crop Insurance

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Congressional agriculture committee leaders praised the Federal crop insurance program in recorded remarks played yesterday at the crop insurance industry’s 75th annual convention.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR, and House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) and Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA-13) will be the chief architects of the 2023 Farm Bill.

“Farming is one of the riskiest businesses out there. Our farmers need risk management tools they can count on to protect their crops and way of life,” Sen. Stabenow said. “Crop insurance is the number one risk management tool for producers.”

Sen. Stabenow cited the timely and responsive nature of crop insurance as a critical component of the program, especially as farmers stand on the front lines of climate change.

“As farmers increasingly face threats from the climate crisis, we need to think about how to expand the crop insurance safety net, so farmers don’t have to rely on ad hoc programs. We need to return to the principles of risk management as we work to protect and to expand crop insurance and pass this Farm Bill,” she said.

Sen. Boozman also spoke to the indispensable role of crop insurance in the farm safety net, calling cuts to crop insurance in the Farm Bill a “bad idea.”

“As much as the Farm Bill is a safety net for our farmers, it’s also a safety net for rural America. At its core, so is crop insurance,” he said.

Crop insurance protects more than 490 million acres of American farmland and keeps America growing when disaster strikes.

“I’m interested in looking at ways to improve crop insurance. If we can get more folks participating in higher levels of coverage, we can break the cycle of ad hoc aid,” Rep. Thompson told the gathered crop insurers and industry stakeholders. “Crop insurance coverage is reliable, timely, and predictable.”

“Our crop insurers are so important,” Rep. Scott said. “[Crop insurers] make sure that we maintain the United States having the greatest and the best agriculture system in the world.”

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net. Learn more about the importance of crop insurance by visiting CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

Crop Insurance Protects 490 Million Acres, Creating Opportunities for Agriculture

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Crop insurance protected more than 490 million acres and $173 billion in liabilities in 2022, providing farmers with a valuable risk management tool, supporting a secure food supply, and contributing to the health and stability of the American economy.

“We’re proud to offer protection to the vast diversity of American agriculture,” said Kendall Jones, chair of National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) and president and CEO of ProAg, in her remarks today to the crop insurance industry’s annual convention.

This year marked the convention’s 75th anniversary, and Jones praised the modern, data-driven, and responsive nature of crop insurance, while outlining an innovative future for the industry.

Crop insurance is designed to provide opportunity for farmers, and Jones urged Congress to consider “a Farm Bill that further strengthens crop insurance, so that it works for more farmers, more crops, and more acres.”

A strong crop insurance program is critical as farmers work to improve their resiliency and make investments in the health of their land.

“Our farmers are on the front lines when it comes to weather disasters, and it is important that we maintain a strong and consistent crop insurance program so that our food supplies and economic stability aren’t a casualty of climate change or volatile global events,” Jones said.

Jones explained that since its beginning, the crop insurance industry has been built on constant data analysis and actuarial soundness. Farmers also invest in their own safety net, paying more than $6.8 billion in crop insurance deductibles in 2022 to protect their crops.

“The crop insurance industry is protecting the American farmer while being a good steward for the American taxpayer,” she said.

The crop insurance industry has also invested heavily in science, with 2023 marking 100 years of agronomic research conducted by crop insurers to improve policies and procedures. Jones emphasized that the industry would continue to invest in new technology to better serve America’s farmers, champion initiatives to empower underserved farmers, and partner with farmers on conservation efforts.

In his remarks, Tom Zacharias, president of NCIS, challenged the crop insurance industry to leave agriculture better than they found it.

“It is only through collective work towards a better, stronger farm safety net that the crop insurance industry has been able to leave our individual mark on agriculture. For 75 years, we’ve worked together to build a data-driven and affordable crop insurance program,” Zacharias said.

Zacharias also thanked former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway and Frank Lucas for leaving agriculture and crop insurance better than they found it through their leadership.

Crop Insurance Earns Senate Praise

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Crop insurance has earned the trust of America’s farmers, and on Thursday, it earned the praise of the Senate Agriculture Committee. A bipartisan group of senators commended the program during a Farm Bill hearing, citing its importance in the face of rising challenges on America’s farms.

The Honorable Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, and Administrator Marcia Bunger, Risk Management Agency (RMA), testified on crop insurance on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They echoed the need for a strong farm safety net.

“Crop insurance remains a critical – a vital – risk management tool for our producers. RMA is expanding coverage to more crops and producers than ever before,” Bonnie said.

Several senators noted the need to strengthen and expand crop insurance to better serve more farmers, such as specialty crop producers. The crop insurance industry is committed to working with Congress to ensure that all farmers have the tools they need to manage the highly specialized risks of farming and protect the security of the U.S. food supply.

Here’s what the Senate Agriculture Committee is saying about crop insurance:

“[Crop insurance is] such an important corner of our safety net.”

– Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

 

“No doubt, without crop insurance, without Title I funding, many farmers would be out of business.”

– Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS)

 

“Despite the USDA’s farm safety net, producers are still struggling to break even due to skyrocketing inflation, rising input costs for food, fuel, and fertilizer. As Farm Bill discussions take place, we want to ensure a strong crop insurance program that maintains the public-private partnership made up to help our producers manage risk.”

– Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

 

“A vital purpose of the Farm Bill is to provide a safety net to producers to ensure that they’re able to protect their farms and livelihood. Tools like crop insurance are vital in that mission.”

– Sen. Ben Lujan (D-NM)

 

“It should be a top priority of this Congress to protect crop insurance. Crop insurance is the quickest and most efficient way to provide aid to our farmers and ranchers after disaster.”

– Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)

 

“Crop insurance and commodity programs must be maintained and where possible, improved, in the next Farm Bill to help producers face challenges from high inflation and input costs to adverse weather events.”

– Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

 

“Crop insurance is the most effective and best risk management tool… It’s critical that we maintain that safety net that is affordable, as well. It is especially important as we consider the young, and beginning, and small farmers.”

– Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)

Michigan Crop Insurance Adjusters, Agents Play Key Role in Food Supply

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Larry Westerhoven knows apples.

As a crop insurance adjuster in Michigan, it’s his job to say what a crop is worth after hail or frost.

“If a guy has problems with his crop, I go out and appraise it,” he said. “I put a value on that crop. Most of these guys around here raise apples for the grocery stores, bagged apples or tray packs or this and that. So, I’ll make an appraisal on that and put a grade on the apples and then they make a decision what they want to do with it.”

Larry was one of several crop insurance adjusters and agents National Crop Insurance Services visited on our recent trip to Michigan.

Scott Colville’s family has been selling crop insurance since 1967. He takes pride in helping farmers stay in business after weather disasters.

“The reason crop insurance even exists is to help the American people and keep the food prices down,” he said. “And you can only do that if the farming community is able to farm and continue farming in a bad year. I would like to see Congress protect what we have in crop insurance and expand it.”

Colton Geiger, a field marketing representative, enjoys working with insurance agents to make sure they understand the latest products and the changes in the industry. He comes from a farming family.

“I think the work really matters in terms of working with farmers and making sure that they can keep farming for years to come,” he said. “Something that I grew up with, you know, in my family, just carrying that farming tradition on down the line.”

Back on the apple farm, Larry said its gratifying to help a farmer make a good decision about a crop because the margins have become so slim.

He hopes Congress will maintain and expand crop insurance in the next Farm Bill.

“Well, I just ask Congress, do they want to eat?” he said. “You want to put these guys out of business or we don’t grow food in this nation anymore? You know, we’re still a leader in food production. I’d like to see us stay there.”

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

Celebrating America’s Farmers & the Policies that Protect Them

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Brett Anderson walked the rows on his Michigan farm and inspected a strong crop of apples. He grabbed one and looked closer at a small indentation with an eye informed by 100 years of family experience.

The little indentation probably won’t mean much by harvest. Brett has seen hailstorms that beat and bruised his apples to the point where the value dropped to a quarter of what this crop may bring.

“Thankfully, this year we’ve been really blessed,” he said.

Brett’s family farm is just one of approximately two million farms in the United States. On National Farmer’s Day, we celebrate the incredible contributions of American farmers, just like Brett, and the important work that they do to feed, clothe, and fuel our nation.

Each of America’s two million farms is unique, requiring a personalized risk management tool. Thankfully, crop insurance allows America’s farmers and ranchers to create a risk management plan tailored to their needs. Crop insurance insures farms in all 50 states.

“Crop insurance has become so vital…no matter what happens in this coming crop season, I will have the ability to pay my bills, to keep my workers employed, and to be able to continue this this family farm that has been here for over 100 years,” Brett told National Crop Insurance Services on a recent trip to Michigan.

Brett was just one of several farms that we visited to capture the Real Stories of America’s farmers and crop insurance agent and adjusters.

Shelly Hartmann enjoyed a handful of ripe blueberries while inspecting the bushes on her farm.

“The thing I love about blueberries is that, you know, it’s nature’s perfect fruit. There’s no waste, it’s 100 percent consumable,” she said.

Shelly believes Congress should maintain crop insurance as an affordable and available risk management tool in the next Farm Bill. She relies on it at her farm. “Crop insurance is really a big tool that we use here to help us offset any unexpected weather events, production losses, market loss as well,” she said.

Vegetable farmer Travis Horkey pulled the tractor forward as his crew harvested big green bell peppers, loading them bucket by bucket into the cart. Crop insurance is an important tool in helping him with the challenges of farming.

“You never know what’s going to come at us,” Travis said. “We could have a drought all spring and summer followed by a flood in the fall just before harvest. And that would be devastating to our business and also affect our employees and our customers, our suppliers, our community.”

“I like the seasonality of farming,” he continued. “I like the challenge of just bringing all the ends together and getting the job done.”

To farmers from Michigan to Mississippi, Maine to Montana, and every state in between: thank you for getting the job done, every single day.

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

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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.”

Farmers Praise Crop Insurance at Field Hearings

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The House Agriculture Committee recently handed farmers in Minnesota and Ohio the microphone to ask them what rural America would like to see in the next Farm Bill. A common refrain? Protect crop insurance.

We’ve compiled several highlights from these field hearings – check them out below.

Growers in both states stated that a strong crop insurance program is key in the next Farm Bill. It was named as the top Farm Bill priority for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, the National Corn Growers Association, and the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association.

As the cornerstone of the farm safety net, it’s clear that crop insurance has earned the overwhelming trust of America’s farmers.

“Crop insurance has demonstrated itself to be an invaluable tool for wheat farmers in Ohio and across the country where we see more frequent weather disruptions and unprecedented increase in prices for inputs,” Ohio farmer Paul Herringshaw said.

The uncertainty of the current farm economy and the financial stress of high input prices were common themes in the hearings.

“High fuel, high crop inputs, economy-wide inflationary pressures, these are all chipping away at margins. Given this, the Farm Bill safety net and crop insurance are… very key to creating a predictable operating environment for these farmers,” explained KC Graner, the Senior Vice President of Agronomy at Central Farm Service, headquartered in Minnesota.

Minnesota’s hosting farmer, Bruce Peterson, cited a number of reasons why crop insurance is important, including the premium discount provided for young farmers. This additional discount for young farmers not only makes crop insurance affordable, but it also allows them to secure an operating loan.

“Once they can take that that crop insurance coverage to their lender, that’s a key point and especially important now with our costs continuing to ratchet higher, much more expensive to put a crop in now than many years ago,” Peterson explained.

Eric Hokanson deals with both sides of the farm and finance equation, growing soybeans in Minnesota while working at farm credit cooperative Compeer Financial. “[Crop insurance] is vital to all sizes and scopes of farms here in the U.S. This allows farmers to hedge their risks and market their crops. This is especially important to young farmers like myself to be able to have a guaranteed source of repayment when disaster strikes or Mother Nature decides to not cooperate,” he testified.

Congress also heard from organic farmers, including Ohio grower Eli Dean, who praised the individualized and responsive nature of crop insurance. “[Crop insurance] works great for our farm. It works great for our communities… if we have a disaster, we are compensated for it quickly.”

We appreciate Congress taking the time to travel the country to hear directly from America’s farmers. Want to learn more about crop insurance? Visit CropInsuranceInAmerica.org to watch more Real Stories from America’s heartland.

Crop Insurance Keeps Farmers Fighting

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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

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“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.

A Farm Disaster – Now What?

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The unthinkable has happened and torrential rain has prevented a farmer from planting, or an unexpected hailstorm has destroyed a growing crop. Now what?

Unlike other farm aid programs, crop insurance provides assistance as determined by an individual farmer’s actual loss, not by the severity of the overall disaster event. So, following a disaster, private-sector crop insurance claims adjusters quickly and accurately assess damages and calculate losses. Delivering aid based on actual losses protects farmers, ranchers, and taxpayers while adhering to one of the key principles for an effective farm safety net.

When a farmer files a claim with their agent, its first stop might be the desk of Danny Thomas, a claims supervisor with Crop Risk Services. Danny joked that although he loves helping his farmers, he always hopes that he doesn’t have to see them a second time.

“Our job’s not only to get the indemnity paid correctly, but to give the insured peace of mind that everything is done correctly on time and that they’re taken care of,” Danny said.

The helping hand provided by adjusters is critical to helping farmers navigate the stress that comes with a crop loss.

“As adjusters, we can try our best to give them peace of mind and we try to let them know that it’s going to be okay,” said Kelsey Eskrigge, an adjuster in Proctor, Arkansas.

“Farmers will tell you I have crop insurance for a peace of mind, you know, farming is a gamble and it’s part of their risk management and helps them sleep at night. So, I think it’s very vital to keep U.S. agriculture in a stable and safe place,” Kelsey added.

Jeff Ray, a regional claims manager, has a long history in agriculture and he wasted no time in explaining just how vital crop insurance is to the farmers that he serves.

“The Federal crop insurance program is a must with the high cost of inputs, the uncertainty of the markets, the uncertainty of the weather. These farmers have got to have risk protection and a risk plan in place for them to be sustainable.”

Thanks to the unique public-private partnership that is the foundation of crop insurance, agents, adjusters, and crop insurance companies work together with the federal government to quickly deliver aid to America’s farmers. This is important when you consider the high-stakes nature of farming and the incredible investment that farmers put into growing our food and fiber.

That’s why crop insurance must remain affordable, widely available, economically viable, and adaptable to the changes of tomorrow.

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

People Behind the Policies: Crop Insurance Agents Keep America Growing

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We’ve been sharing the stories of the farmers who rely on crop insurance, but there’s another part of the equation that helps make crop insurance a success: private-sector agents.

Before planting a crop, farmers work with private-sector crop insurance agents to tailor a customized risk management plan that fits their unique needs. This individualized approach is one of the essential strengths of crop insurance.

Dustin Faulkner, a crop insurance agent in Jonesboro, Arkansas, starts the crop insurance conversation with his farmers by outlining the basics of crop insurance and how yield and coverage levels can affect policies.

It’s always difficult to have a farm hit by disaster, but Dustin takes pride in ensuring that his customers are covered should the worst happen.

“To be able to make that phone call in that time of need and let them know that the policy is there for them…you almost feel them sometimes have a little relief knowing that that process is in place. And they did have adequate coverage for their needs.”

It’s no wonder that Arkansas’ farmers trust crop insurance. Last year, crop insurance covered 5.5 million acres in Arkansas, and Arkansas farmers collectively paid $58.9 million out of their own pockets for coverage.

Agent Sam Walker in Brinkley, Arkansas, enjoys knowing that he is making a difference in the lives of his farmers and the economic health of his community. “Everything in Brinkley revolves around agriculture one way or another,” he said. “That’s the only way that we can make it around here is with farming.”

In many of these rural towns, agents are an integral part of the farming community.

“Crop insurance is something I enjoy,” said Lenny Adams, an agent at the Bank of England Insurance Agency in England, Arkansas. “I enjoy going out and sitting on the tractors and the combines and talking with the farmers and gathering data as well as taking care of them on their crop insurance needs.”

The Bank of England is the only bank left in the small town of 3,000 people. That’s why Lenny is passionate about ensuring that farmers have a strong farm safety net. He knows first-hand the financial risks that come with farming as well as how much farmers give back to their rural community.

If the farmers went under, “we’d probably lose every business we have in town.”

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

Crop Insurance Protects Farmers from Sea to Shining Sea

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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

A Safety Net for our Food Supply and the Farm Economy

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Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the American farm safety net. It protects the farmers who grow our food and fiber as well as the rural communities that rely on a thriving farm economy.

Mike Chappell bought his first tractor when he was still in college. Now, he farms in McCrory, Arkansas, and takes pride in growing the crops that feed America.

“I feel like that we bring a good product for people. It feels good to know that, you know, people are consuming our product and we’re working hard,” Mike said. “It’s a lot involved. And I’m just one little spoke in the wheel.”

Farming comes with many challenges, and Mike has experienced some big storms, big floods and big freezes that have become family legend. Each time, he’s turned to crop insurance to keep him growing.

“Crop insurance kind of takes a few bumps out of the road,” he said. “It’s not going to make you prosperous, but it might keep you alive.”

Learn more about the people behind the policies.

Agriculture provides jobs for tens of thousands of people in Arkansas and supports the small businesses that rely on this income. Matthew Marsh in England, Arkansas, grew up farming and understands the immense responsibility of taking care of his employees.

Yet, increasingly severe weather is making it harder for farmers like Matthew. That’s where crop insurance comes in.

“If Mother Nature throws us just a big curveball, we may have something, some way to stay in business and keep our community and all our employees going forward to another year,” Matthew explained.

Just across the mighty Mississippi, agriculture anchors the small town of Clarksdale, Mississippi. The Mississippi Blues Trail winds through Clarksdale, too, and the intersection of farming and folk music give farmer Scott Flowers hope that this community will survive through tough times.

Scott farms cotton, soybeans, corn, and wheat with his brother. When we spoke with him in mid-April, they hadn’t been able to get into the fields to plant nearly half their acres due to the rain. When weather is unpredictable, crop insurance provides a predictable safety net.

Weather isn’t the only risk. Input costs, such as the cost for fertilizer, fuel, and animal feed, are also rising and squeezing already thin farm profits.

“We couldn’t make it without crop insurance,” Scott said. “I mean, 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.”

Watch these stories and more at CropInsuranceInAmerica.org.

Crop Insurance Keeps Family Farms Alive

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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.

Risk Management Discussion Shines Spotlight on Crop Insurance

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“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

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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.”

What Farmers Are Telling Congress About Crop Insurance

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Yesterday, the House Agriculture Committee invited various commodity groups to testify before the committee on Title I programs in the Farm Bill. This hearing kicked off the committee’s examination of the Farm Bill programs that help provide stability to America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities as they do the hard work of feeding, fueling, and clothing our nation.

While crop insurance was not the focus of this hearing, it was no surprise that the importance of the crop insurance program was reiterated time and time again. That’s because crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net and trusted by farmers to protect more than 90 percent of insurable farmland in America.

Commodity leaders from across the country, representing tens of thousands of farmers growing a diverse range of crops, praised the crop insurance program, speaking at times about their personal farming experience. In their own words, here’s what they had to say about crop insurance:

“ASA must share for the record the high importance of crop insurance to soybean farmers. Soybean farmers consistently communicate that this is the most effective component of the farm safety net when viewed more broadly… Crop insurance must remain affordable for producers.” – Brad Doyle, American Soybean Association

“Last year, I didn’t harvest a third of my farm. And so, I had to utilize the safety net of crop insurance, and it was there, and I’d have to say, it’s kept the family farm in business.” – Nicole Berg, National Association of Wheat Growers

“We know that agricultural markets are cyclical, and an effective safety net is imperative for the inevitable times of low prices. The combination of commodity program options and crop insurance gives farmers as well as their lenders the confidence entering planting season knowing that downside risk is mitigated in periods of steep price decline or a significant loss of production.” – Jaclyn Ford, National Cotton Council

“Crop insurance is #1. It is our #1 best risk-management tool, and we need to continue with that. It is a vital piece.” – Chris Edgington, National Corn Growers Association

“As we are seeing continuous erratic weather patterns – longer and more extreme droughts in some regions and more frequent flooding in other areas – the farm safety net and robust crop insurance program that helps farmers adequately mitigate risk and volatility becomes vital to the sustainability and continuation of family farms.” – Verity Ulibarri, National Sorghum Producers

“I hope that the stability and certainty of the farm safety net that the Title I and crop insurance programs represent will remain the top priority and driving force in the timely reauthorization of a bipartisan Farm Bill in 2023. Farmers, as well as consumers that rely on the food we produce, are facing a lot of challenges and uncertainty. Additional instability and uncertainty in the fam safety net and our food production system is the last thing we need.” –  Clark Coleman, National Sunflower Association, National Barley Growers Association, U.S. Canola Association, and the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council

The message to Congress was loud and clear: to best serve America’s farmer and ranchers, crop insurance must be protected and strengthened in the next Farm Bill.

Growers, Lenders, Conservationists Call on Congress to Back Crop Insurance in Farm Bill

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Crop insurance is a vital risk management tool that should be maintained and strengthened in the next Farm Bill, according to a panel of commodity growers, lenders, and conservationists.

The panel was part of the Monday presentations at the crop insurance industry’s annual conference in California.

“Crop insurance is one of our most important tools for our growers in terms of protecting their yields as well as their revenue,” said Jake Westlin of the National Association of Wheat Growers.

Wayne Stoskopf, of National Corn Growers Association, said crop insurance has been the cornerstone of the farm safety net for the majority of corn growers.

“It works really well,” he said. “I don’t expect that to change at all. They are continuing to innovate and look at things like the post application coverage endorsement (PACE) as something that our growers identified as a need for split nitrogen practices and wanted to continue to see advancements and innovations there.”

Robbie Minnich, of National Cotton Council, said crop insurance is very important to cotton growers.

“As you all well know almost every acre of cotton gets some level of crop insurance,” he said. “So, we want to make sure crop insurance is there, it’s available, it’s affordable and we can do whatever we can do to support the industry.”

Ben Mosely, of USA Rice Federation, said innovations in crop insurance are making it more attractive to rice growers.

“Obviously there’s a lot of new crop insurance policies and endorsements that have come on in the last 10 plus years that are very attractive to us,” he said. “We are taking on more crop insurance acreage every year. It’s been a great program.”

Skylar Sowder, of Farm Credit Council, said crop insurance is hugely important to lenders.

“It is a vital risk management tool,” she said. “Additionally, a lot of our farm credit associations also provide crop insurance as a service to their customers.”

Kellis Moss, of Ducks Unlimited, said his group is a proud to partner with the crop insurance industry.

“We’d like to see as many acres in production have crop insurance on their farms as possible,” he said. “And we couldn’t be prouder of our partnership, or relationship. We think it’s great. It’s continuing in a good direction.”

Crop Insurance Earns Bipartisan Praise at Congressional Hearing

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Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net and an invaluable risk management tool for America’s farmers. This message was underscored during a recent House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing called by Subcommittee Chairwoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)

“I hear through pretty much every ag meeting I have how important the Federal crop insurance program is to help farmers manage their risk,” Bustos said in her opening remarks.

Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, testified before the subcommittee about the steps that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking to help America’s farmers and ranchers deal with the increasing risks of farming. Bonnie began his testimony by emphasizing the role that crop insurance plays in helping agriculture defend against climate change.

“With increasing extreme weather, crop insurance remains a vital tool for agriculture,” Bonnie said. “Crop insurance is absolutely critical,” he added later during questioning from members of Congress.

The public-private crop insurance program is an important component of the farm safety net. This is especially true as farmers experience more crop losses due to adverse weather events driven by a changing climate. When disaster strikes, crop insurance gives farmers the stability they need to plant again.

The success of crop insurance earned praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle throughout the hearing.

“I consistently hear from producers that Federal crop insurance works, it works well for them, and that the program does not need major changes,” said Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.).

More than 50 farming, banking, and conservation organizations representing groups from across rural America recently echoed this call to protect crop insurance when they sent letters to policymakers asking them to oppose any budget cuts to the program.

Farmers want to ensure that crop insurance remains strong, because they trust in the program to provide a safety net when disaster strikes. In fact, farmers rely on crop insurance to protect more than 90 percent of insurable farmland in the United States. This trust is built on crop insurance’s long record of delivering aid to farmers quickly and efficiently.

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) also pointed to the speed of crop insurance during the hearing.

“I think that the crop insurance system we’ve got has done a really good job from a customer service perspective as well as making sure those indemnities get out in the field as quickly as possible,” Johnson said. “The public-private partnership has delivered a tremendous amount of value.”

It’s no wonder that more and more farmers are protecting their livelihood with crop insurance.

Members of Congress Share Support for Crop Insurance

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Congress recently heard loud and clear from America’s farmers that they must do no harm to crop insurance as they consider programs to support rural America.

Farmers representing a diverse range of commodities testified last week before a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing called by Subcommittee Chairwoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) to share their experience with the farm safety net.

“We’ve heard time and again how critical crop insurance is as a risk management tool for farmers,” Chairwoman Bustos said in her opening remarks.

Growers spoke to the effectiveness of the crop insurance program and its irreplaceable role in the farm safety net. Each of the farmers had been personally affected by either weather disasters, market volatility, or the pandemic. Sometimes even all three.

No matter the challenge, crop insurance was there to help them manage their risks and keep growing another season.

Their messages of support for crop insurance were quickly echoed by several of the members of Congress in attendance, including Congressman GT Thompson (R-Pa.), Ranking Member of the full committee:

“Rather than wait for an act of Congress, farmers need reliable assistance that only a standing program can provide and there is no better example of a program that responds quickly when needed than crop insurance. Above all else, we must first do no harm to the existing safety net.”

Several farmers underscored Congressman Thompson’s message on the timeliness of crop insurance assistance. The crop insurance program utilizes a unique public-private partnership to deliver indemnity checks in just days or weeks – not months, or even years, as can be the case when relying on ad hoc disaster assistance.

Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-Minn.) noted that the testimony before the subcommittee and conversations with her constituents had made it clear that “risk management tools like crop insurance are more important than ever. Federal crop insurance has been a success story because it’s actuarially sound and consistently works for farmers.”

Crop insurance is popular and trusted by farmers because it is affordable, widely available, and economically viable. It gives farmers the tools they need to tackle the challenges of today – and tomorrow.

Farmers Emphasize to Congress Importance of Crop Insurance

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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.

Crop Insurance Wins Wide Support on Capitol Hill and In Countryside

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Federal crop insurance and the critical role it serves as part of the farm safety net unexpectedly took center stage at a recent Senate Finance hearing with the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer.

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow questioned USTR Lighthizer on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed spending plan for Fiscal Year 2020, which takes aim at the United States Department of Agriculture. OMB suggested making cuts to a popular farm risk management tool: crop insurance.

While this budget is unlikely to ever be adopted by Congress, Senator Stabenow, who is the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, rightly noted that cuts to the USDA and crop insurance would be contrary to the policy objectives established by the overwhelmingly bipartisan passage of the Farm Bill in December 2018.

Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) immediately interjected, emphasizing that cutting crop insurance is a non-starter.

“It would gut the program,” the Chairman said of OMB’s proposal, “and that’s the one thing that our farmers and ranchers and growers all over the country said was the number one issue.”

He wasn’t alone in criticizing the plan.  Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) made his objections heard a couple of days earlier.

“More than 310 million farm acres protected by crop insurance would be at risk,” he said of the plan, which he noted, “undermines our farmers.”

And those farmers have been very clear in their message to Capitol Hill to “do no harm” to crop insurance. Some of these farmers reiterated this ask at this week’s Agri-Pulse summit in Washington, D.C.

Luke Howard, an organic farmer from Millington, Maryland, shared how crop insurance helped his farm after a record rainfall last year, stating it was a lifesaver and “a smart use of tax dollars.”

And a first-generation farmer, John Shepherd from Blackstone, Virginia, emphasized that he may not have survived his first few years of farming without the safety net provided by crop insurance.

Their stories and similar testaments from farmers and ranchers are clear.

We simply cannot balance the federal budget on the backs of America’s farmers and ranchers. And agriculture cannot thrive without a strong crop insurance system.

Farmers Helped Protect Crop Insurance During 2018 Farm Bill Debate

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Every five years, Congress sets the course for our nation’s agricultural policy with the passage of a Farm Bill. When farm policy critics predictably suggested that Congress use the 2018 Farm Bill to undermine the critical safety net that crop insurance provides, those who depend on crop insurance were quick to tell Capitol Hill to “do no harm” to this important program.

The House Agriculture Committee held listening sessions across the country to hear first-hand from rural Americans and their message was clear: “The crop insurance system today is working.”

Heather Hampton Knodle from Fillmore, Illinois:

Crop insurance [is a] critical tool for risk management, not only for farmers and rural communities, but also for the government.

Ben Scholz, President of the Texas Wheat Producers Association:

I know you will probably hear it a thousand times that crop insurance is indispensable. And all I’m going to say here is it’s absolutely true.

John Giesenschlag from Snook, Texas:

I feel very, very strongly that we have to maintain the crop insurance program. I think that it is administered efficiently because it’s done through private companies. I think that you can choose your level of coverage that you want. I think the product is delivered timely. I think that revenues are delivered back to the farmer timely, the producer, much more efficiently than has been done in the other programs that have been put out there.

Noah Hultgren from Wilmar, Minnesota:

…crop insurance is so important to me. We’ve got three families directly that derive income from our farm, and if we did not have crop insurance, we wouldn’t be able to survive. We had weather issues this year, just like other people. We had a whole 80 acres of corn that got hailed out and normally, if we did not have crop insurance, we wouldn’t be able to survive. We needed that to basically break even possibly and so we can farm again.

Kyle Peterson, Chairman of the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative:

Most crop farmers borrow more in 1 year to produce a crop than most Americans do in a lifetime. Our growers and our bankers need strong risk management tools like crop insurance that are essential in order to secure operating loans to grow our crop. With more frequent and intense weather patterns, rising interest rates and production costs, and lower commodity prices, our risk has gone up, while our balance sheets have gone down. We simply have to have affordable crop insurance to manage those risks.

Linda Carlton-Huber, owner of CF&H Insurance Agency in Illinois:

Agriculture plays an integral role in our economy. If the farmer struggles, so does every town in Illinois. Crop insurance has made farmers a better businessman.

James Fitzpatrick, agent at Arthur Carroll Insurance Agency in Connecticut:

…just remember, with the cuts that have been talked about for the Farm Bill for crop insurance, that it’s these people’s livelihoods. I mean, they have no control over the weather, and they need the safety net. It’s not just farms, it’s families, and we’re protecting our country’s food supply.

These messages demonstrating the positive benefits of the crop insurance program were echoed by legislators back in Washington, DC during debate over the future of the Farm Bill.

Congress responded by passing with overwhelmingly bipartisan majorities a Farm Bill that included strong crop insurance provisions, giving our farmers certainty and providing them with the tools they need to manage their unique risks. President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law in December, saying that “by signing this bill we are protecting our crop insurance program.”

As Congress begins the annual budget process, America’s agricultural community has asked House and Senate appropriators to ensure that the crop insurance program receives the full funding that it requires to be successful.

None of this would have been possible without farmers’ voices telling Washington that crop insurance is an indispensable part of our nation’s safe and affordable food supply.

2018 Farm Bill Strengthens Crop Insurance

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As policymakers, commodity leaders, and insurers gathered this week for the crop insurance industry’s annual convention, recent legislative changes to the federal crop insurance program was one of the top discussion topics.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the Farm Bill, included several provisions that strengthened crop insurance and solidified its position as an important risk management tool.

“Passing Congress with the largest margin of any farm bill in history, this legislation demonstrated that preserving the farm safety net is an issue that transcends partisan lines,” said National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) President Tom Zacharias. “We thank Capitol Hill for listening to rural America and working diligently to ensure that crop insurance remains affordable and widely available for our farmers and ranchers.”

The Farm Bill strengthened crop insurance by directing research for new products, promoting coverage for underserved producers, and improving the availability and workability of various insurance programs.

NCIS staff Troy Brady and Mickey Paggi outlined some of the most significant changes in a recent article for Crop Insurance TODAY magazine, noting that these provisions “will increase crop insurance’s role as a key component of farm policy.”

Notable provisions included:

  • Improvements to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policy that will provide more meaningful risk protection, especially for small and beginning farmers.
  • Additional research on topics including new irrigation practices, existing citrus fruit policies, and the development of policies to better address low-frequency, catastrophic losses due to weather events such as hurricanes.
  • An annual review of research regarding the development of insurance for new crops and how to improve crop insurance coverage in existing programs.

“Speedy and accurate implementation will be important for farmers… as they look to their most important risk management tool to help rebound from the extreme weather and a slumping rural economy that plagued 2018,” the authors wrote.

NCIS will be working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency to efficiently put the Farm Bill’s crop insurance provisions into action.

New Farm Bill with Strong Crop Insurance Becomes Law

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President Donald Trump today officially signed the 2018 Farm Bill, making the five-year bill a law.

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 issued the following joint statement in response:

 It’s been a difficult year for farmers and ranchers from coast to coast, but rural America is ending 2018 on a high note with this farm bill. The new law keeps crop insurance affordable and widely available for agriculture, and it provides much-needed certainty heading into 2019.

 President Trump and Secretary Sonny Perdue have been vocal champions of the farm safety net and crop insurance, and they helped deliver in a big way for farmers and ranchers with this new law. Likewise, congressional leaders from both parties should be commended for their dedication in passing a bipartisan bill that provides the tools farmers need to manage their unique risks.

Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Congressmen Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) worked tirelessly throughout this farm bill process to make U.S. agriculture stronger. On behalf of the entire crop insurance industry and the customers we serve, thank you.

 Crop insurance, which is delivered by the private sector, has become a key component of U.S. farm policy. Each year, farmers spend between $3.5 and $4 billion to purchase protection on the crops they grow, ensuring taxpayers are not shouldering all the risk. When disaster strikes, insurance aid is distributed quickly to help farmers pick up the pieces and plant again.

This year, 1.1 million crop insurance policies provided $106 billion in protection on more than 130 types of crops covering 311 million acres.

Efforts by farm policy critics to weaken agriculture’s primary risk management tool were soundly rejected by Congress, which heeded farmers’ advice to “Do no harm to crop insurance.”

Farm Bureau Compares Crop Insurance to Ad Hoc Disaster

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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.”

First Video in Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Series Highlights Importance of Crop Insurance

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The importance of crop insurance and other risk management tools to our nation’s farmers is the main message of the first segment in a new Agri-Pulse Farm Bill video series.

“We all rely on farmers and ranchers, but farming is riskier than other businesses out there,” the video begins. “Crop insurance helps farmers manage their risk.”

The video notes that with crop insurance, farmers put skin in the game, paying premiums and shouldering deductibles. This protects taxpayers from expensive ad hoc disaster bills.

The video features a number of interviews with farmers and ranchers, including Craig Hill, Iowa Farm Bureau president, who discussed the unique challenges farmers face.

“We have to negotiate with Mother Nature each and every year to grow a crop and that risk is fairly significant for most growers and so the crop insurance program is essential,” Hill said.

But it’s not just the weather that the modern farmer has to worry about. It’s the price of the crops they grow, which can respond quickly to a weather disaster or change of demand in the U.S. or around the world.

Kevin Paap, president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau, says that this uncertainty makes crop insurance “his bankers’ best friend.”

“Not only is it the drought and the things that you think about typically with crop insurance as far as yield loss, but also it’s the revenue side,” Paap said. “Having that ability to make sure that you can manage your risk, you can use your crop as collateral, by far is the #1 thing.”

And crop insurance isn’t just critical for traditional row crops. When it comes to specialty crops, crop insurance is a vital tool.

Kay Rentzel, executive director, National Peach Council, noted that when a farmer puts a tree or a bush in the ground it takes at least three years before they actually produce a harvest. So one catastrophic freeze potentially could wipe out an industry.

“We desperately want to be able to feed America, we want to be able to feed the world and we want to provide them with healthy, good-for-you food products and crop insurance is one of the roles and one of the tools they have to do that,” Rentzel said.

Blake Hurst, Missouri Farm Bureau president, stressed the importance of crop insurance to beginning farmers.

“For my sons-in-law who are just beginning farming, it is very important to them that they have some stability, some ability to plan, some ability to secure financing,” said Hurst. “If they don’t have a guarantee that that program is going to be there over the next several years as they make long-term plans, it becomes difficult for them to grow, for them to expand, for them to be successful in their farming careers.”

The segment concludes by stressing the importance of passing a strong Farm Bill in the near future.

“Uncertainty is never good,” said Russell Boening, Texas Farm Bureau president. “If you don’t know what your risk management tools are going to be or how they are going to work – yes it can be nerve wracking; it can cause sleepless nights.”

NCIS President Discusses the Important Role of Crop Insurance

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NCIS President Tom Zacharias discussed the growing role of crop insurance as the primary risk management tool for farmers in a recent radio interview with Courtnay Doyle of Dignity Farm Network in southwestern Minnesota.  “The 2014 Farm Bill solidified crop insurance as the primary tool for farmers in dealing with production and price swings,” said Zacharias.

Zacharias noted that farmers purchase crop insurance to protect their crops from both volatile weather conditions and uncertain market conditions, which can fluctuate daily.  “It gives farmers and lenders a peace of mind and ensures financial stability, which is important in the agricultural sector,” he said.

He explained that multi-peril crop insurance protects farmers from a whole host of natural disasters, including hail, freeze, drought, disease and loss of revenue due to drops in prices.  “There are roughly 128 crops covered by crop insurance,” he said.

Zacharias also pointed out that in order to enjoy the protection of crop insurance, farmers must first purchase policies.  “Farmers spend about $4 billion each year to purchase crop insurance.  This means that they have significant skin in the game, and they assume a good deal of the risk as well,” he said.

He also pointed out that in addition to paying premiums, farmers have deductibles on these policies ranging from 15 to 35 percent.  “So when a farmer receives an indemnity, it’s after this deductible has been met and the premium has been paid,” he said.

Specialty Crop Growers, Organic Farmers, Ranchers Can Now Purchase the Protection of Crop Insurance

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Growers of fruits and vegetables, as well as organic farmers and ranchers, will now be able to purchase the protection of crop insurance with Whole-Farm Revenue Protection crop insurance policies, announced recently by USDA.

The new policy is available for the 2015 crop year.

“USDA is committed to making crop insurance available and affordable to as many producers as possible,” said RMA Administrator Brandon Willis.  “Whole Farm Revenue Protection is another example of how we’re working with and listening to producers to create a safety net that meets their specific needs,” he said.

Whole-Farm Revenue Protection allows producers to insure a variety of crops instead of one commodity at a time, giving them the ability to increase their crop diversity and produce a wider range of foods for consumers.   The policy, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, allows producers to insure 50 to 85 percent of their whole farm revenue.

“This levels the playing field for producers who felt that crop insurance didn’t work for them,” Willis said.

The new policy is available in most states and will also provide a whole farm premium discount to farms with two or more commodities as long as minimum diversification requirements are met.   Whole-Farm Revenue Protection can be purchased in conjunction with individual policies if those policies are at buy-up coverage levels.

Crop Insurance Primer Available Online

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The 2014 Farm Bill was clearly a turning point in federal policy towards agriculture, pivoting away from the traditional support mechanism paradigm of the past and into a risk management model that features crop insurance as farmers’ primary—or only—risk management tool.  But with that new emphasis comes an increased need for basic information about crop insurance, what it is, how it works and why it has become the risk management tool of choice for America’s farmers.

These basics of crop insurance are available in an NCIS video titled “Crop Insurance 101.” The video is very helpful for Americans who have very little to do with agriculture, or for those who now find themselves needing to know more about this important risk management tool.

The video explains the public-private partnership of the crop insurance, the way crop insurance has removed some of the risk burden from taxpayers, and the role adjusters, and the companies they work for, play in the crop insurance program.  It also explains that in order to be protected by crop insurance, farmers must first purchase it with their own money.   Already this year, farmers have spent nearly $4 billion purchasing crop insurance.

USDA Announces Progress In Implementing Crop Insurance Provisions

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced recently that it continues to make progress in implementing provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill that will strengthen and expand insurance coverage options for farmers and ranchers. The new Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), available through the federal crop insurance program and set to begin with the 2015 crop year, is designed to help protect producers from yield and market volatility.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack pointed out that this nation’s producers work hard to produce a sufficient amount of safe and nutritious food for the country.   “It’s critical that they have crop insurance options to effectively manage risks and ensure that they do not lose everything due to events beyond their control,” he said.   Vilsack added that USDA has made it a priority to ensure the Supplemental Coverage Option was available to help farmers in this upcoming crop year.

The 2014 Farm Bill strengthens and expands crop insurance by providing more risk management options for farmers and ranchers and by making crop insurance more affordable for beginning farmers. SCO, which is administered by the Risk Management Agency (RMA), further strengthens the farm safety net.

SCO will be available for corn, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat in selected counties for the 2015 crop year. Producers should contact their crop insurance agents to discuss eligibility in time to sign up for winter wheat coverage. RMA plans to make SCO more widely available by adding more counties and crops. Information on SCO for 2015 winter and spring wheat is available on the RMA website.

SCO is a county-level policy endorsement that is in addition to an underlying crop insurance policy, and covers a portion of losses not covered by the same crop’s underlying policy. Producers who elect to participate in Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), which is offered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), are not eligible for SCO for the crop and farm participating in ARC.

Vilsack noted today’s announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Farm Bill Proves Crop Insurance Popularity At All-Time High, Says Industry Leader

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Weber,Tim FinalPassage of the 2014 Farm Bill, which cemented crop insurance as the cornerstone of farm policy, proved that crop insurance’s popularity among farmers has reached an all-time high, said Tim Weber, co-chairman of the American Association of Crop Insurers and National Crop Insurance Services.

“If I had to sum up the story of the crop insurance industry in one simple statement, I think it would have to be ‘We’ve made a lot progress but our best years remain ahead of us,’” Weber said today during his opening remarks at the annual conference sponsored by National Crop Insurance Services and the American Association of Crop Insurers in February.

Since its inception in 1938, crop insurance has steadily evolved and today protects 90 percent of planted cropland in America. The industry won widespread praise in agricultural circles and on Capitol Hill for helping rural America quickly rebound after the devastating droughts of 2012.

“There can be no question that when it comes to managing the risks posed by Mother Nature or volatile world markets, federal crop insurance has no equal,” he said, adding “it has reached its pinnacle, all while overall federal spending on farm programs has trended down.”

Weber explained that in order to continue to build on past successes, the industry should rely on the same three keys that helped its rise to prominence: Affordability, availability and viability.

In order for crop insurance to remain viable as farmers’ primary risk management tool, the crop insurance infrastructure must remain financially strong, he said. Additionally, customer service, program integrity, and widespread participation will be paramount. And unless crop insurance remains affordable and available to all, Weber believes the entire system could collapse.

Crop insurers faced attempts to reduce program participation during the Farm Bill, but proposals to cap crop insurance benefits and force some farmers to pay higher premiums failed.

“We applaud our congressional leaders for overwhelmingly passing a Farm Bill that strengthens, not weakens, our commitment to crop insurance even in the face of federal spending pressure,” Weber concluded. “I truly believe that 10 years down the road, when we look back at the 2014 Farm Bill, it will be elevated to one of the major legislative initiatives that established landmark developments for crop insurance and production agriculture.”

Senate Passes Five-Year Farm Bill, Begins New Era for U.S. Farm Policy

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The Senate overwhelmingly passed the 2013 Farm Bill with a very strong of vote of 66 to 27, with 93 senators voting. The passage of the bill represents an historic pivot in U.S. farm policy, away from the era of direct payments to large numbers of commodity farmers to crop insurance, which must be individually purchased by each farmer and offers financial support – in the form of a crop insurance indemnity payment – only when they incur a verifiable loss, including weather damages or commodity price fluctuations.

The issue is now in the House of Representatives where the debate continues. Both bills pare overall Farm Bill spending, with the Senate version projecting $24 billion in savings over ten years and the House version projecting $40 billion in savings over the same period of time. Eighty percent of Farm Bill expenditures will go to food assistance programs and roughly 20 percent goes to farm programs, including conservation, renewable energy, commodity programs and crop insurance.

The dramatic shift in farm policy was best encapsulated by a quote made by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) during the debate. “Crop insurance is insurance. The farmer gets a bill, not a check,” she said. The Senate bill would cut $24 billion from farm spending over 10 years, and includes a provision tying the ability of a farmer to purchase crop insurance to conservation compliance requirements.

Prior to the bill’s passage, USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse pointed out that the performance of crop insurance during last year’s drought was clear proof of the program’s value. “We provided insurance for about $116 billion worth of crops last year,” he said. Scuse added, “We’ve paid about $17 billion in indemnities. I think that shows this program worked and it worked as it was intended. We got the money out to the producers and it’s going to help an awful lot of people stay in business that, had we not had a really good crop insurance, may not have been farming this year.”

Despite strong opposition from Chairman Stabenow, the bill contains an amendment sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin, (D-Il) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) which would reduce the premium discount for farmers in higher income brackets or those from larger or more successful farms. Chairman Stabenow said the amendment would raise premium costs by 40 percent for the affected farmers and would reduce the amount of acreage that must comply with federal conservation standards.

Neither the conservation compliance measure nor the premium subsidy limit is in the bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee.

AFBF’s Thatcher Discusses Crop Insurance as a Key Part of Farm Safety Net

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There are going to be more challenges to the writing of the 2012 Farm Bill than agriculture has ever seen, said the American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Director of Congressional Relations Mary Kay Thatcher, during a recent interview with the National Association of Farm Broadcasting that ran nationally.

“We don’t have as much money to write the Farm Bill as we did in 2008,” noted Thatcher, who added that another challenge is the large number of urban members of Congress who believe that farmers are getting rich off of strong crop prices this year.

Thatcher explained that good prices come and go and inclement weather can strike at any time, which is why it is important to remember that Farm Bills cover a number of years and that crop insurance is a very important component of the legislation. “It’s just a real good risk management tool. We’re able to have famers pay part of the premium and government pay part of the premium to make it affordable,” she explained.

Thatcher pointed out that crop insurance ensures that if we have tough weather like “wildfires in Texas and flooding in the Midwest, that farmers are able to indeed get enough assistance that they can farm for another year.”

Thatcher urged all areas of agriculture to come together during the upcoming debate, using all of our voices to push for as much political influence as possible. “We don’t just compete with the farmers down the road, we compete with the farmers of the world,” she added.

2012 Farm Bill Should Hold The Thin Green Line

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Minnesota has more at stake than most in 2012 farm bill.

Rural America has been abuzz lately about a term coined by retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark to describe the challenge of feeding more and more Americans with fewer and fewer farmers. His phrase, “hold the thin green line,” sums up what many of us have spent a lifetime trying to convey.

“If we cannot feed, fuel and clothe ourselves, then we cannot defend ourselves. If this one bright spot in our economy is choked off, then recession recovery will certainly stall,” Clark said.

Here in Minnesota, we have more at stake than most when it comes to holding the thin green line.

Almost half of the state’s land is devoted to food production, one-quarter of our residents are employed by agriculture, and we are national leaders in producing staple crops such as corn, wheat and sugar. So how does Minnesota build on this success story? It all starts in the halls of Congress with debate of the 2012 farm bill, and that debate is about to get under way.

Some lawmakers are already taking aim at agriculture. Some are pointing to federal budget deficits as an excuse to cut gaping holes in the farm safety net and leave Minnesota’s economy vulnerable to the whims of Mother Nature and the roller-coaster rides of current commodity markets.

Such attempts are as foolish as they are disingenuous, especially when you consider the current state of farm budgets. The sugar policy that underpins the state’s Red River Valley, for example, costs taxpayers $0. Some policy replacements that have been proposed in the past would cost $1.3 billion a year or more.

Meanwhile, the policies in place to help the state’s corn, soybean and wheat growers hedge risk continue to operate under budget and represent less than one-quarter of 1 percent of federal spending.

Then there’s arguably the most important tool to Minnesota farmers: crop insurance. Crop insurance was specifically designed to shield taxpayers from mega-payouts that could result from catastrophic situations such as commodity price collapses and weather disasters.

By helping farmers afford insurance policies that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive, the government is able to stretch tax dollars much further. The 2010 crop is a prime example – every dollar spent by the government yielded $20 worth of protection for farmers. And this divide is expected to grow in 2011.

If you doubt the need for crop insurance, just look at recent data from the National Weather Service, which shows that excessive snow in the Great Plains and Midwest may leave more of the state’s valuable crops under water than the 2009 record-setting floods.

Now is not the time to weaken crop insurance and put taxpayers – instead of private insurance companies – on the hook for picking up the pieces. If anything, discussions should be centered on ways to strengthen crop insurance and the rest of the safety net. After all, there’s far more at stake than farmers in the next farm bill.

Widner is chairman of the American Crystal Sugar Co. and grows sugar beets, wheat and soybeans in Stephen, Minn.
This article appeared in the Fargo Forum on April 24, 2011.

Farm Bill Principles and Crop Insurance

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America’s abundance of affordable and nutritious food is the envy of the world. This is not an accident, as our long history of investment in agricultural infrastructure has made this possible. Underpinning this system is crop insurance’s modern public/private partnership that provides a safety net for farmers, helping them manage price and weather risks.

USDA’s Agricultural Outlook conference speech by Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, outlined her principles for the upcoming Farm Bill. She urged us not to look at the 2012 Farm Bill under the lens defined by budget cuts or specific programs but instead from principles like “creating the best safety net and the best tools possible for managing risk.”

Ask any Michigan farmer — or any American farmer — what fits this bill, and crop insurance will be among the first responses. Crop insurance provides protection to producers of the Great Lakes state’s lucrative specialty crops — like the well-known tart cherry crop — should prices crash or Mother Nature deal an unwelcome blow. In fact, it is the only safety net tool available for most fruit and vegetable growers.

It is easy to see why crop insurance has gained so much popularity with farmers. In fact, more than 1.1 million policies covering 256 million acres across the U.S. were written in 2010 to deal with risks. Nationally, this public/private partnership enabled the government to turn a modest investment into nearly $80 billion in protection in 2010.

Stabenow wants the Farm Bill to be based on the notion that farmers know better than anyone else what works for them. A major strength of today’s crop insurance program is that it allows farmers to create individualized risk management solutions tailored to their specific risks.

When catastrophe hits, the only thing protecting many producers from bankruptcy is crop insurance, which is streamlined by the efficiency of private sector delivery. And banks are increasingly relying on crop insurance, knowing fully that the money they loan farmers for food production is partially secured by this program.

Unfortunately, this risk management tool has been put under the budget-cutting microscope in recent years. Lawmakers in search of budget offsets for other, often non-farm priorities, have already substantially reduced funding.

Bill Murphy with USDA’s Risk Management Agency recently cited an agency report that indicated current investments in crop insurance are delivering a significant bang for the buck. The persuasive attributes of crop insurance, despite the funding reductions already taken, underscore a program that is cost effective and sustainable.
The U.S. agricultural sector is a source of deep economic strength and stability. As weather-driven crop failures globally cause price fluctuations and food shortages we should be heartened by our fiscally sound crop insurance policies. As Stabenow also noted, “We need an effective safety net so that we aren’t watching family businesses go under because of a few days of bad weather or market factors outside of their control.” Indeed, crop insurance is attempting to meet this need not only in Michigan, but nationwide as well.