VALDOSTA, GA, June 28, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the fresh market beans insurance program to Hendry and Palm Beach counties in Florida. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) currently offers coverage in New York, North Carolina, and Virginia.

“Fresh market bean growers in Florida and stakeholders have asked for crop insurance,” said Davina Lee, Director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Florida. “Because of the warmer climate, the program offered in other northern states didn’t fit Florida growers’ needs. We’ve worked closely with producers to tailor the program to better meet the needs of their operations.”

The sales closing date in Florida is August 31, 2024, for the 2025 crop year.  In Florida, the insurance program will offer coverage for three different planting periods (fall, winter, and spring), unlike northern states that only have two planting periods.  RMA collaborated with local stakeholders to implement these program modifications.

The fresh market beans insurance program is a multi-peril actual production history (APH) coverage policy that is available to producers who have grown fresh market beans for at least four crop years in the county in which the crop will be insured. The program offers coverage levels between catastrophic and 85%. Fresh market beans are insured as enterprise units only with all insured acreage of the crop in the county insured as one unit for each planting period.

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.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.