VALDOSTA, Ga., Nov. 1, 2016 - USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds South Carolina forage, livestock, and honey producers the final date to apply for crop insurance coverage is November 15. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the November 15 sales closing date to do so.

Acreage intended for grazing and haying is insurable under the Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) program, and colonies of bees are insurable under the Apiculture program. The PRF and Apiculture programs for 2017 are under the Rainfall Index insurance plan. Crop insurance provides protection against a loss in production due to a natural peril such as drought. Coverage is available for PRF and apiculture in numerous South Carolina counties.

Information about these crop insurance programs and resources such as the Decision Support Tool, Grid ID Locator, and historical indices for each grid ID and index interval, are available on the RMA Website. Producers and agents are encouraged to use this information to learn more about these programs and determine insurability.

Producers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2017 crop year. 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 www.rma.usda.gov.

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