crop insurance News

USDA Expands Whole Farm Revenue Protection, Micro Farm Insurance Plans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced changes to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and Micro Farm Insurance plans in an effort to increase participation and access to crop insurance for producers of specialty crops. Improvements …

USDA Introduces New Grapevine Insurance Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new grapevine insurance program within its crop insurance solutions. The program will provide coverage for loss of grafted vines caused by natural perils such as freeze, fire, hail and flood. The program, which …

US Corn Harvest Is in Trouble

Sagging ears just short of maturity, cobs half bare of kernels as if nibbled, earth so dry that deep cracks criss-cross the fields: The US corn harvest is in trouble. The signs were already there in South Dakota. Scouts surveying …

Weather Extremes May Force More Farmers, Ranchers to Consider Costly Irrigation

The Texas ranch where Gilda Jackson trains and sells horses has been plagued by grasshoppers this year, a problem that only gets worse when the hatch quickens in times of heat and drought. Jackson watched this summer as the insects …

How Satellites Are Helping Farmers Adapt to Climate Crisis

When to harvest is one of the most crucial decisions a winemaker can make. Too early, and the result is bitter. Too late, and it’s overly sweet. It’s a delicate balance—one that’s increasingly being upended by the climate crisis. In …

Vermont Farmers Urged to Document Crop Losses From Flooding

Vermont state and federal officials are urging farmers to document and report damage from the catastrophic flooding that hit the state two weeks ago and inundated crops in the rural mountainous state known for its scenic farmland. They toured Paul …

Northeast Vineyards, Apple Orchards Still Hurting From May Frost Damage

Vineyards and apple orchards across the Northeast are still gauging damage from a late-season frost in May that wiped out a third to most of the crop for some growers who say it’s the worst frost damage they have ever …

Vermont Spring Freeze May Have Caused Extensive Crop Damage

Vermont officials are concerned that widespread frost across the state last week may have severely damaged thousands of acres of crops, including fruits, produce, berries and wine. Temperatures dropped below freezing in many areas for a sustained time causing early …

Texas Cotton Farmers Seek Improvements to Crop Insurance

LUBBOCK — On the eve of another drought-ridden growing season, farmers from the High Plains are asking state and national lawmakers to provide a stronger financial safety net. In Austin and Washington, D.C., farmers from the 41-county High Plains region, …

Bill Would Offer Crop Insurance Discount to Farmers Who Plant Cover Crops

A bipartisan bill proposed by federal lawmakers would provide farmers a discount on crop insurance premiums by planting cover crops. The Conversation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience (COVER) Act, proposed last week by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Reps. Sean …