Department of Agriculture
Risk Management Agency Fact Sheet
Washington National Office — Washington,DC
Revised September 2023
Quality Loss Option
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The Quality Loss Option (QL) is a crop insurance option that first became available with the 2021 crop year. The Risk Management Agency implemented the QL in response to the 2018 Farm Bill to carry out research and development that establishes an alternative method for adjusting quality losses that will not impact your Actual Production History (APH). The QL allows exclusion of quality loss from an APH database in circumstances where a quality loss occurs. The QL will be offered at an actuarially sound premium rate.
Like yield exclusion, the QL must be elected by the sales closing date. When elected, the QL will replace post-quality adjusted (QA) production with the pre-QA production for any year the insured filed a Notice of Loss (NOL). Quality adjustment to production will be based on the applicable quality statements contained in the Special Provisions, or on applicable quality requirements allowed by Crop Provisions or endorsements, for the crop.
The QL may apply if you filed a NOL, regardless of whether you received an indemnity for that crop year. You are eligible to replace the post-QA production in your APH database with pre-QA production.
The QL is an available option under Yield Protection, Revenue Protection, Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion, and APH plans of insurance. The QL is available for the following crop programs:
Avocados (CA) Oats Barley Peaches Blueberries Peanuts Buckwheat Rice Canola
Rye Corn
Safflower Cotton
Soybean Cranberries
Stonefruit Flax
Sunflower
Grain Sorghum
Table Grapes Grapes
Walnuts Malting Barley
Wheat
- How this Option Works
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Example:
Crop Year Pre – QA PTC Post – QA PTC 2016 80 bu/ac 80 bu/ac 2017 120 bu/ac 120 bu/ac 2018 100 bu/ac 30 bu/ac 2019 110 bu/ac 110 bu/ac 2020 90 bu/ac 60 bu/ac Average 100 bu/ac 80 bu/ac When the QL is elected, you can choose to substitute your pre-QA production amount for both 2018 and 2020 crop years. This example increases your APH to 100 bu/ac.
- Where to Buy Crop Insurance
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All multi-peril crop insurance, including CAT policies, are available from private crop insurance agents.
A list of crop insurance agents is available on the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov/Information-Tools/Agent-Locator page.
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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.
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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.