The crop insurance industry kicked off its annual meeting today, amid mounting economic and weather-related uncertainty in farm country.

In his opening remarks, NCIS Chairman Andy Caruso framed the moment clearly, telling attendees it was an honor to gather with leaders who “dedicate their professional lives to supporting an industry that feeds our nation, fuels our economy, and sustains rural communities across the country.”

That responsibility has only grown as pressure on farm country continues to build, he explained. Input costs remain elevated, interest rates are high, commodity prices have softened, and many operations are still recovering from repeated weather disasters.

Caruso, who is also the vice president and general manager of the American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, noted, “the pressures farmers are facing today are not abstract, and they are not temporary.” In fact, mental health in farm country has emerged as a major problem.

Against that backdrop, crop insurance continues to expand and earn farmers’ trust. Caruso said that trust is demonstrated in the numbers.

Farmers and ranchers have purchased more than 2.4 million crop insurance policies, providing $159 billion in protection across nearly 544 million acres nationwide — roughly nine out of every 10 eligible acres.

This is dramatic growth from just five years ago, when fewer than 379 million acres were insured. Farmers themselves invested more than $6 billion out of pocket for that coverage, another strong signal of confidence in the program’s value.

“It is not a profit center. It is not a guarantee. It is a stabilizing force that allows farmers to continue operating when the unexpected occurs,” Caruso said.

NCIS heard this same sentiment when it visited Georgia one year after Hurricanes Milton and Helene hit the state.

One producer described the speed of the crop insurance claims process as “like manna from heaven,” explaining that timely indemnity payments arrived when his entire crop was lost and his future was uncertain.

Another farmer told NCIS plainly that without crop insurance, his multi-generational operation would not have survived.

Those experiences are not isolated. According to a 2025 national farmer satisfaction survey, 90 percent of farmers reported purchasing crop insurance every year for the past five years, and producers ranked it as the most important component of farm policy.

As Caruso told attendees, that level of confidence does not happen by accident.

“It reflects decades of investment, partnership, and commitment by this industry to put farmers first,” he said.

As the annual meeting begins, the message from the stage was clear: the work of crop insurance extends beyond policies and programs.

“At the end of the day, this work is not about programs or policies alone,” Caruso concluded.

“Farmers are counting on us to deliver protection and to preserve confidence, stability, and hope for the future.”