RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 14, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved expansion of the Peanut crop insurance program to Wake and Jones counties in North Carolina beginning with the 2024 crop year.

“Our goal is to always provide the best risk management resources, so we will continue to evaluate our programs and tailor them to best meet the needs of agricultural producers, including peanut growers right here in North Carolina,” said Alexander Sereno, Regional Office Director for USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) in Raleigh. “The expansion of the Peanut crop insurance program will provide more coverage options to peanut producers.”

Peanut crop insurance offers producers a choice between 3 types of coverage: Yield Protection, Revenue Protection, or Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion. Coverage is currently available for North Carolina in Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Johnston, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson counties.

Insurance is also available in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

North Carolina accounts for almost 8% of the nation’s insured peanut acres, and 90 percent of agricultural acres in the state are insured by the Federal Crop Insurance Program. Through Peanut crop insurance, North Carolina producers insured more than 111,0000 acres with over $110 million in liabilities.

Growers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the upcoming crop year. Crop insurance coverage decisions must be made on or before the sales closing date, which is February 28, 2024, for the 2024 crop year.

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 or by contacting your RMA Regional Office.

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.

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