News

USDA updates prevented plant coverage

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has updated prevented plant coverage factors for seven crops in the 2017 planting season.

The agency says the changes were made to address recommendations of a 2013 USDA Office of Inspector General report and a third party study.

Crops that were reviewed include barley, corn, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans and wheat. The agency says changes were made to ensure that prevented planting factors more accurately reflect the pre-planting input costs of producers.

The prevented planting coverage factors were adjusted down for corn, up for rice, and the others remained the same after the agency evaluated recommendations and public comments.

Prevented planting coverage insures crops and protects farmers if they are unable to plant by a certain date. RMA says all crops with prevented planting coverage will be reviewed and adjusted if needed.