USDA Announces Risk Protection for Specialty Types of Barley

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Contact: Jo Lynne Seufer, (509) 228-6320
jo.lynne.seufer@rma.usda.gov

USDA Announces Risk Protection for Specialty Types of Barley and
Reminds Farmers and Ranchers of Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Program Dates

SPOKANE, Wash. February 22, 2010—Effective for the 2010 Crop Year, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) is offering insurance coverage based on contract prices for all practices of certain specialty types of barley (as reflected in the Special Provisions of Insurance).

Specialty barley includes malting, waxy hulled, waxy hulless, and hulless types, available in all MPCI barley counties in Idaho, Oregon and Washington except the seven counties with a fall sales closing date for winter damage protection on winter barley. Those seven counties: Cassia, Nez Perce and Payette of Idaho; and Wasco and Umatilla of Oregon; and Klickitat and Yakima of Washington, will have this new coverage for specialty barley types for the 2011 crop year. RMA encourages barley growers, to contact their crop insurance agent well ahead of the March 15, 2010, spring sales closing date to learn how these coverage enhancements might affect their current year’s risk management decisions.

March 15th is also the final sales closing date for 2010 Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite (AGR-Lite) insurance for NEW APPLICATION/ENROLLMENT POLICIES in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington; as well as ALL other Spring seeded crop insurance coverage (excluding wheat) in counties with Fall and Spring planted types).

RMA also reminds producers of the important link between Federal crop insurance and Farm Service Agency (FSA) Disaster Assistance programs for the 2010 crop year. To maintain eligibility for FSA’s disaster programs, producers must obtain a policy or plan of insurance of at least catastrophic (CAT) level coverage if available. For those crops that are non-insurable, coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program must also be timely obtained. Producers are encouraged to visit with their local FSA office to ensure they are in compliance with the new linkage requirements. If there is no coverage in a county for a specific crop under the traditional MPCI program; producers may ask a crop insurance agent whether they would be eligible for coverage under a written agreement.

A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers throughout the U.S. or at the website address: http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.