Massachusetts farmers are encouraged to purchase disaster protection on their 2021 crops. Farmers have a variety of risk management options to protect their investment. The options include the following:
Individual Crop policies: Growers can purchase federal crop insurance on potatoes, fresh market sweet corn, tobacco, corn (grain/silage). These policies protect growers from natural disaster losses. Check with your crop insurance agent.
Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance (NAP): NAP is available on all annual crops not covered by crop insurance. Growers have the option to buy-up coverage on individual commodities. Buy up options are 50%, 55% 60% and 65% of your yield at 100% of the price. The administrative fee for catastrophic coverage (50%/55%) (CAT)is the lesser of $325/ crop or $825/producer per county. Buy up premium is 5.25% of the guarantee for each crop. FSA will waive the administrative fee and reduce the premiums for buy up coverage by 50% for veterans, beginning, historically underserved and limited resource farmers. NAP is sold by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP): WFRP provides growers with farm revenue protection from crop or market losses. WFRP replaced the Adjusted Gross Revenue polices that have been available in previous years. WFRP is sold by crop insurance agent. Check with your crop insurance agent.
Remember: It is each producer’s responsibility to develop a risk management plan for their farm that will provide adequate protection if a disaster occurs…and to live with the consequences.
This is material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28588 and 2018-70027-28584. UMass Extension works in partnership with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center to educate Massachusetts producers about Federal Crop Insurance and USDA Disaster Assistance Programs. For more information, please contact UMass Risk Management Specialists Paul Russell at pmrussell@umass.edu or Tom Smiarowski at tsmiarowski@umass.edu.