Background

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is amending the Sugar Beet Crop Insurance Provisions via final rule with request for comments. The final rule with request for comment published in the Federal Register on September 10, 2018. The intended effect of this action is to update the policy to better reflect current agricultural practices. The following policy modifications were made to the Sugar Beet Crop Insurance Provisions:

Background

In accordance with Section 8 of the Rainfall and Vegetation Index Plan Common Policy Basic Provisions, final grid indices and payment calculation factors have been determined and approved for the following:

• 2018 Crop Year Rainfall Index June – July Index Interval Final Grid Indices for Annual Forage, Apiculture, and Pasture, Rangeland, Forage

Action

By close of business today, final grid indices and payment calculation factors will be available in the Actuarial Information Browser and Actuarial Data Master in the following formats:

Background

Annually, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) develops a list of crop insurance agents and loss adjusters with anomalous claims experience relative to their peers in the geographic area. This list, known as the Agriculture Risk Protection Act (ARPA) List, is mandated by section 515(f)(1) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act). Section 515(f)(1) directs RMA to establish procedures to review agents and loss adjusters with disparate performance and to take appropriate remedial action for potential fraud, waste, or abuse uncovered during the reviews.

As of July 16, 2019 the following information is now available on the FTP site:

• 2018 Actuarial Data Master for the 11/30 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2019 Actuarial Data Master for the 4/30, 6/30, 8/31, 11/30, 12/31, 2/28 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2020 Actuarial Data Master for the 4/30, 6/30 Filing Date, YTD, and Daily Files.
• 2020 Special Provisions for the 4/30 Filing Date.

Users can find this information in the following directories:

Background

In accordance with Section 8 of the Rainfall and Vegetation Index Plan Common Policy Basic Provisions, final grid indices and payment calculation factors have been determined and approved for the following:

• 2019 Crop Year Rainfall Index April – May Index Interval Final Grid Indices for Annual Forage, Apiculture, and Pasture, Rangeland, Forage

Action

By close of business today, final grid indices and payment calculation factors will be available in the Actuarial Information Browser and Actuarial Data Master in the following formats:

In accordance with Section 15 of the ARPI Crop Provisions, final county yields for the 2018 crop year will be available by close of business today in the following formats:

Background

Previous flooding and excess moisture throughout the spring and summer, along with the oncoming Tropical Storm Barry, have increased the likelihood that farmers will be dealing with emergency situations caused by the storm. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) has received requests to allow additional time for policyholders to submit acreage reports for spring-seeded crops.

Background 

At the May 2017 Board meeting, the Board approved Reasonableness Procedures to be used to determine the ‘reasonableness’ of requests for: (1) advance payments, (2) reimbursement of research and development costs, (3) reimbursement of maintenance costs, and (4) approval of user fees submitted to the Board. After the initial publication of the Reasonableness Procedures in November 2016, stakeholders were provided two different opportunities, in December 2016 and April 2017, to provide comments and suggestions for changes to the Reasonableness Procedures.

Background 

Producers in Southwest Oklahoma and Northern Texas have recently been affected by wet weather, muddy field conditions and in some cases excessive winds, which have delayed the normal and customary timeframe for mechanical or chemical termination of crops used for winter grazing (oftentimes small grains). The generally mild winter months along with the weather-related delays may, in some situations, cause producers the inability to fully terminate the crops prior to the onset of some of the plants reaching the headed or budded stage.

Background

Due to the recent severe flooding and excessive precipitation that is occurring at historic levels, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) has received requests to allow additional time for policyholders to submit acreage reports for spring-seeded crops. Concerns have been expressed that many policyholders may not be able to comply with the current acreage reporting dates due to difficulties to properly determine and report the insured amount of acreage planted or prevented from planting due to damage to transportation infrastructure, homes and businesses.