Whether it’s almonds in California, apples in Washington, or cherries in Michigan, there is a Federal Crop Insurance Policy to help manage your risk. In fact, the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) protects 76 different specialty crops that account for over $20 billion in liabilities.
Below we’ll cover three of the most common specialty crop insurance plans.
APH policies insure producers against yield losses due to natural causes such as drought, excessive moisture, hail, wind, frost, insects and disease.
This is a basic plan of insurance that covers most specialty crop commodities including:
Almonds
Apples
Blueberries
Grapes
Peaches
Pistachios
Walnuts
The farmer selects the amount of average yield they wish to insure, ranging between 50-85%. The farmer also selects the percent of the predicted price he or she wants to insure, between 55-100% of the crop price established annually by RMA.
If final production is less than the yield guarantee, an indemnity is paid on the difference. The indemnity is calculated by multiplying this difference by the price selected at sign up and the insured share in the crop.
Sales closing dates vary by crop and region, with most falling between November 20 and January 31.
ARH policies are very similar to the APH policies outlined above. However, they base the guarantee on revenue per acre rather than yield. This gives producers the added benefit of some market volatility protection due to the revenue component.
Crops that are eligible for ARH policies include:
Cherries
Oranges
Strawberries
While sales closing dates for ARH also vary by crop and region, they primarily happen between November 20 and January 31.
WFRP provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy. This insurance plan is tailored for any farm with up to $17 million in insured revenue (up from $8.5 million in insured revenue in years past), including farms with specialty or organic commodities (both crops and livestock), or those marketing to local, regional, farm-identity preserved, specialty or direct markets.
Sales closing dates for WFRP vary by region, with all regions falling between January 31 and March 15.
WFRP can serve as an excellent tool in a specialty crop producer’s risk management toolbelt. A few benefits of the WFRP program include:
Ability to cover ALL crops grown on an operation
Provides Revenue Protection on specialty crops that historically have only had yield protection options available
Subsidy levels as high as 80% depending on commodity count and coverage level
Ability to account for expanding operations
FBN is more than just insurance. Our agents work with you one-on-one to understand your concerns and design custom policies for your peace of mind. Our team is comprised of experts in specialty crop insurance located nationwide, each of whom are ready to discuss the specific needs of your individual operation.
Learn more about FBN's speciality crop insurance programs or connect with an agent by clicking here or calling (866) 878-7133.
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We are an Equal Opportunity Provider. FBN Insurance services are offered by FBN Insurance LLC (dba FBN Insurance Solutions Services LLC in Texas, and FBN Insurance Solutions LLC in California and Michigan). FBN membership is not required to purchase through FBN Insurance LLC, but certain features may only be available to FBN members. FBN Crop Insurance is currently offered in all U.S. states.