Background

This Bulletin establishes the 2023 crop year Prune Reference Date. In addition, it provides Approved Insurance Providers with the average dry prune count per pound for calculating second-period immature prune appraisals.

Each year, the Davis Regional Office (DRO) establishes the Prune Reference Date. This date occurs one to two weeks after prune pit tip hardening when 80 to 90 percent of the seed shows the presence of endosperm, a clear jelly-like substance at the bloom end of the seed.

For the Common Crop Insurance Policy and Area Risk Protection Insurance, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) approved 2023 CY harvest prices for insurance offers with a harvest price discovery period of June 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023. These values may be viewed in the attachment and on RMA’s Price Discovery portal, located here: public-rma.fpac.usda.gov/apps/PriceDiscovery.

These values will also be available at the following locations on RMA’s website by July 6, 2023:

As of July 03, 2023 the following information is now available on the FTP site:

• 2023 Actuarial Data Master for the 6/30, 11/30 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.

Users can find this information in the following directories:

• 2023 Actuarial Data Master are in the References/Actuarial_Data_Master/2023 directory.

Additional notes and details regarding this data release:

2023 ADM Price updated for the harvest price announcement, PM-23-038, 6/30 and 11/30 filings.

Background

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors approved expansion of the Margin Protection (MP) crop insurance program, under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act, on November 17, 2022. The MP Provisions are also being revised to clarify a producer with an MP policy cannot transfer their base policy to another insurance provider or cancel their base policy to obtain insurance from another insurance provider.

Background

When provided in the actuarial documents, the HIP-WI Endorsement is available for both Catastrophic (CAT) and additional coverage for Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions policies.

The following changes are applicable for the 2024 and succeeding crop years:

Background

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) amended the Common Crop Insurance Policy (CCIP) Basic Provisions, Area Risk Protection Insurance (ARPI) Basic Provisions, and the General Administrative Regulations Subpart G – Actual Production History. The changes apply for the 2024 and succeeding crop years for the June 30, 2023, contract change date and for the 2025 crop year for crops with a contract change date prior to June 30, 2023. The changes include:

CCIP Basic Provisions

Background

The 2024 Appendix III to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement and the Livestock Price Reinsurance Agreement (Appendix III) has been updated with approved modifications. Appendix III will be available tomorrow electronically via the Risk Management Agency (RMA) website at www.rma.usda.gov/Policy-and-Procedure/Appendix-III-M13-Handbook-Index under the Appendix III/M-13 directory.

Action

Modifications in the 2024 Appendix III include the following crop insurance program changes:

As of June 28, 2023 the following information is now available on the FTP site:

• 2023 Actuarial Data Master for the 11/30 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2023 Special Provisions for the 11/30 Filing Date.
• 2024 Actuarial Data Master for the 6/30 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2024 Special Provisions for the 6/30 Filing Date.

Users can find this information in the following directories:

Background

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) revised the Grass Seed Crop Provisions to allow enterprise units and optional units by type beginning with the 2024 crop year. RMA also clarified that a grass seed production contract must be provided by the acreage reporting date.

Action

The Grass Seed Crop Provisions (24-0102) will be available by close of business today on the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov.

Background

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors approved changes to the Camelina pilot crop insurance program on May 18, 2023. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage by allowing written agreements in select counties in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. In addition, to assist expansion by written agreement into the Great Plains, the fall planted practice will be offered in Harper County, Kansas.