United States Department of Agriculture
News Release
Crop Insurance Coverage Improvements for California Strawberries Available
Growers in Select Counties Need to Review Coverage Options Before July 1
Davis, Calif., June 1, 2015 — USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced improvements to the strawberry crop insurance program for California producers located in Fresno, Merced, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Ventura counties for the 2016 crop year. Changes include an alternative method to set-up the guarantee, an additional insurable practice, and a longer insurance period for select counties.
Additionally, a master yield (MY) method will now be available in all counties listed above. With the MY method, growers will be able to combine yield history from multiple fields to determine their production guarantee for all acres being farmed by the grower in the county. The MY method is especially beneficial to growers who have limited production records due to crop rotation or land leasing practices.
Strawberries planted in the summer will now be insurable in Santa Barbara County. Previously, only strawberries planted in the winter were insurable in Santa Barbara County. A longer picking period of July 1 through July 31 will be included on the list of picking periods for winter planted strawberries in Ventura County. This will allow a longer insurance period for growers.
Strawberries in California are insured under an Actual Revenue History (ARH) policy, which protects against the loss of net revenue, due to an insurable cause of loss. The final dates to apply or make changes to a strawberry policy in the specified counties are July 1, 2015, for summer planted strawberries and September 30, 2015, for winter planted strawberries. Contact a local crop insurance agent for premium quotes and additional program details.
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can use the RMA Cost Estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at the RMA website.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
Additionally, a master yield (MY) method will now be available in all counties listed above. With the MY method, growers will be able to combine yield history from multiple fields to determine their production guarantee for all acres being farmed by the grower in the county. The MY method is especially beneficial to growers who have limited production records due to crop rotation or land leasing practices.
Strawberries planted in the summer will now be insurable in Santa Barbara County. Previously, only strawberries planted in the winter were insurable in Santa Barbara County. A longer picking period of July 1 through July 31 will be included on the list of picking periods for winter planted strawberries in Ventura County. This will allow a longer insurance period for growers.
Strawberries in California are insured under an Actual Revenue History (ARH) policy, which protects against the loss of net revenue, due to an insurable cause of loss. The final dates to apply or make changes to a strawberry policy in the specified counties are July 1, 2015, for summer planted strawberries and September 30, 2015, for winter planted strawberries. Contact a local crop insurance agent for premium quotes and additional program details.
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can use the RMA Cost Estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at the RMA website.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).