Oklahoma City, Okla., Nov. 28, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is enhancing crop insurance for silage sorghum producers by converting the Silage Sorghum Pilot Endorsement to permanent and allowing written agreements. These changes will take effect beginning with the 2023 crop year.

“The designation of the crop insurance endorsement for silage sorghum as a permanent policy and the ability to request written agreements will be welcome news for producers in the High Plains region,” said James Bellmon, Director of Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) Regional Office in Oklahoma City. “Our producers will appreciate another risk management tool that can help them better manage their risk and protect them against unforeseen challenges.”

RMA has offered the silage sorghum endorsement for several years as a pilot with positive feedback from producers. On Aug. 18, 2022, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors approved the changes, making the endorsement permanent and allowing written agreements so producers outside of the targeted pilot area could purchase coverage.

This endorsement attaches to the Coarse Grains Crop Provisions and extends actual production history coverage for dual-purpose sorghum varieties grown for silage. Silage sorghum is an alternative to corn as feed. Silage sorghum has several benefits for producers, such as being drought tolerant and requiring less irrigation water than other crops.

Silage sorghum is grown on non-irrigated and irrigated acres in the High Plains region. The Silage Sorghum Endorsement is currently available in select counties in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Impacted states served by the RMA Oklahoma Regional Office are New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Nationally, silage sorghum producers purchased 440 policies to protect nearly $29 million in liabilities in 2022.

The policy provisions will be posted on the RMA website by Nov. 30, 2022.

More Information

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. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.