WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2014 ― USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA)
today reminded producers of recent changes to the organic farm safety net and
key dates for producers to know for their 2014 crops.
In its support for the continued growth of organic agriculture,
RMA expanded the coverage options for producers through Federal crop
insurance. The agency added organic price elections for 2014 for eight
additional crops (oats, peppermint, apricots, apples, blueberries, almonds,
pears, and grapes for juice) bringing the total number of crops with organic
price elections to sixteen.
“RMA is committed to offering a modern and effective safety net
to ensure organic farmers have what they need to put seed in the ground and
food on our tables, even after a difficult production year,” said Brandon
Willis, RMA Administrator.
Starting with the 2014 crop year, the 5 percent surcharge for
all crops insured under organic farming practices has been removed; a new
contract price option will be available to organic producers who grow crops
under guaranteed contracts and will be available for 62 different organic
crops; and changes to organic transitional yields (t-yields) will be phased in
so they will be more reflective of actual organic farming experience.
Organic producers should be aware of the final sales closing
date to apply for insurance for the 2014 crop year. For most crops, that date
is March 15. The sales closing date is the last day to buy a new policy or
change an existing policy’s coverage level. Producers can find sales closing
dates for the crops in their states by referring to RMA’s Regional Office State
Directory here. Current
policyholders also have until the sales closing date to make any changes to
their existing contracts.
More information on risk management tools available for organic
farmers can be found on the RMA Organic Crops website.
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