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Promoting Products and Partnerships
February 12, 2021

RMA Acting Administrator, Richard Flournoy (right), is introduced by NCIS President, Tom Zacharias (left), at the 2021 Crop Insurance Convention, held virtually on February 9, 2021.
RMA Acting Administrator, Richard Flournoy (right), is introduced by NCIS President, Tom Zacharias (left), at the 2021 Crop Insurance Convention, held virtually on February 9, 2021.

February is packed with great opportunities for our agency to meet with our stakeholders and customers to discuss exciting new developments in Federal crop insurance. 

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the 2021 Crop Insurance Convention, hosted by our stakeholders at the American Association of Crop Insurers (AACI), the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB), and National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS).  The convention featured great speakers, including Senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and John Boozman of Arkansas, and Sara Wyant from AgriPulse.  It was incredibly informative, and I am grateful to the organizers for a wonderful platform to inform and foster key relationships with partners in government and private industry.

Among other things, I talked about our response to the pandemic and natural disasters across the nation – from hurricanes in the south to the western droughts. I also discussed the health of our program, improvements to existing policies, and expanded coverage of crops in new parts of the country.

NCIS President Tom Zacharias told me that he was pleased that we were able to provide an update on recent RMA initiatives and that our AIP associates “stand ready to work together with the new Administration to meet tomorrow’s challenges head on.”

He also mentioned that this year’s convention was the first, and hopefully the last, to be held virtually.  While I share those sentiments, I feel that in spite of the challenges the pandemic poses, we have not missed a beat when it comes to engaging with stakeholders and providing excellent risk management products to America’s farmers and ranchers.

Next week, we are participating in a virtual town hall organized by the Florida Department of Agriculture with producers in the Sunshine State.  We will wrap up the week hosting a panel on customer service at USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum.  We will explore how stakeholder engagement and public-private partnerships can be leveraged to provide USDA program flexibilities during the pandemic and recent disasters impacting the agricultural community.  If you would like to attend virtually, sign up now.  Registration is free, but capacity is limited.  

-Richard