Actual Production History Yield Exclusion

RMA has identified, in the actuarial documents, eligible crop years in which producers may elect to exclude actual yields from their actual production history. Crop years are eligible when the average per planted acreage yield for the county was at least 50 percent below the simple average for the previous 10 consecutive crop years. Separate determinations will be made for irrigated and non-irrigated acreage, when data is available.

RMA’s data is the primary data source used to determine the average per planted acre yield for the county and the simple average for the previous 10 consecutive crop years, if sufficient RMA data exists. If RMA data is not sufficient for any given crop year, National Agriculture Statistics Service data is used, if available and appropriate, and then, in a limited number of situations, the applicable county transitional yield may be used, as appropriate, to complete a 10-year consecutive period.

A crop year that has been determined eligible for exclusion for a crop in a county will also be eligible for exclusion in contiguous counties, as identified in the actuarial documents.

An online map viewing tool has been provided on RMA’s website to help identify eligible crop years in one or more counties for producers’ crops and irrigation practice. To view the tool, please refer to RMA’s Map Viewer.

You may have a higher approved yield and insurance coverage when an actual yield is excluded from an actual production history database. If excluding a yield results in an increased approved yield, a higher insurance guarantee and greater indemnity payment could occur due to the yield exclusion. This requires an increase in the premium rate for Actual Production History Yield Exclusion to account for the increased risk of loss. For example, a producer with a 65- percent coverage level may get a yield guarantee equivalent to a higher coverage level, such as 70 percent. The premium charged will reflect the higher effective coverage level (70 percent for this example), and higher risk of loss, because of the yield exclusion option. If you elect and use the yield exclusion option your premium will be adjusted while other producers will not be affected. For more information about the premium rating approach to yield exclusion go to RMA’s website or contact your crop insurance agent.

You must choose the Actual Production History Yield Exclusion Option by the sales closing date for your insurance policy. You choose the option by insurance policy. Please note that the option is continuous, and you must request to cancel the option by the sales closing date if you wish for the coverage to end. When you choose the option it will automatically exclude all eligible crop years from your actual production history database, unless you specifically opt out of the exclusion for a specific crop year because you wish to retain your yield for an eligible crop year in your actual production history database. You must opt out of the exclusion, by actual production history database, for any specific crop year or multiple crop years that you wish to keep by the production reporting date for your crop in your county.

You must choose the Actual Production History Yield Exclusion Option by the sales closing date for your insurance policy. You choose the option by insurance policy. Please note that the option is continuous, and you must request to cancel the option by the sales closing date if you wish for the coverage to end. When you choose the option it will automatically exclude all eligible crop years from your actual production history database, unless you specifically opt out of the exclusion for a specific crop year because you wish to retain your yield for an eligible crop year in your actual production history database. You must opt out of the exclusion, by actual production history database, for any specific crop year or multiple crop years that you wish to keep by the production reporting date for your crop in your county.

You may choose the Actual Production History Yield Exclusion Option and the Yield Adjustment Option and/or Trend Adjustment Option within an actual production history database. You can only apply one option, either yield exclusion or yield adjustment, to an actual yield for an eligible crop year within an actual production history database. When an actual yield in an eligible crop year is excluded, the excluded actual yield is not considered for trend adjustment.

If you choose to exclude an eligible crop year(s) and it lowers your actual production history to less than 4 crop years of production history in your actual production history database, the applicable transitional yield will be substituted for the excluded crop years to establish a minimum base period of 4 crop years.

Yield limitations that prohibit an actual production history-approved yield from decreasing more than 10 percent from one year to the next do not apply when yield exclusion applies to an actual production history database, or for the first crop year after you cancel the yield exclusion option.

Written agreements cannot be used to buy the Actual Production History Yield Exclusion Option:

• For a county when the county does not contain the option in the actuarial documents;
• When a written agreement is created to insure a crop in a county without actuarial documents for that crop; or
• When a written agreement is created to insure an irrigation practice (irrigated, non-irrigated, or limited irrigation) in a county that does not contain that irrigation practice on the county actuarial documents.

All crop insurance policies are available from private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA service centers and on the RMA website at Agent Locator. 

This fact sheet gives only a general overview of the crop insurance program and is not a complete policy. For further information and an evaluation of your risk management needs, contact a crop insurance agent.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, complete, sign and mail a program discrimination complaint form, (available at any USDA office location or online at www.ascr.usda.gov), to: United States Department of Agriculture; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; 1400 Independence Ave., SW; Washington, DC 20250-9410. Or call toll free at (866) 632- 9992 (voice) to obtain additional information, the appropriate office or to request documents. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136.