BULLETIN NO.:  MGR-98-002

TO:       All Reinsured Companies
             All Risk Management Field Offices

FROM:     Kenneth D. Ackerman
          Administrator

SUBJECT:  1998 County Crop Program Expansion

BACKGROUND:

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) has expanded the number of counties where
certain crops are insurable for the 1998 crop year.  The following attachments, 1998
EXPANSION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS, and 1998 EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAMS
list the 1998 crop year fall and spring crop expansion by state, county and crop for
permanently-established (non-pilot) programs and pilot programs.

The Risk Management Agency is continuing the policy of expanding crop insurance programs
consistent with the Administration's policy of providing producers the opportunity and
responsibility for managing their own risk for their farming operations.   Producers who fail 
to purchase at least Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) level of insurance coverage for each 
crop of economic significance or fail to sign a waiver of any eligibility for emergency crop 
loss assistance for the crop, will not be eligible for other USDA program benefits including:  
	1) benefits under the Agricultural Market Transition Act (AMTA); 
	2) loans or any other USDA provided farm credit identified in the regulations, and; 
	3) benefits under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
 
ACTION:

Insurance providers should advise producers of the expanded county crop programs for which the
sales closing date has not passed in their counties for the 1998 crop year to allow producers 
the opportunity to purchase crop insurance.  This can be done by contacting individual 
producers, producer groups, or using newsletters, magazines, newspapers, etc.

Attachments
               1998 EXPANSION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP                COUNTY/COUNTIES

Alabama        Cotton              Clarke

               Peaches             Autauga

Alaska         Potatoes            Fairbanks-Northstar, Southeast-Fairbanks

California     Apple               Kings

               Forage Production   Colusa, Mono, Sacramento, Sutter, Tehama

               Lemons              San Luis Obispo

               Sweet Oranges       Kern, Tulare

Colorado       Fresh Mkt.     	   Delta, Mesa, Montrose
	       Sweet Corn

               Sugar Beets         Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma

Florida        Corn                Flagler

               Citrus              Citrus

Georgia        Cotton              Brantley, Hancock, Liberty, Long, Pike

               Onions              Appling, Bacon, Bullock, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans,
                                   Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jenkins,
                                   Laurens, Long, Montgomery, Pierce,
                                   Screven, Seminole, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift,
                                   Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, Worth

               Peaches             Bleckley, Monroe

Iowa           Popcorn             Carroll, Davis

Kansas         Popcorn             Grant, Hamilton, Morton, Stanton, Stevens

                                   Page 1 of 4

               1998 EXPANSION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP                COUNTY/COUNTIES

Michigan       Apple               Clinton

               Hybrid Corn Seed    Tuscola

Minnesota      Canola              Beltrami, Clearwater, Koochiching, Lake of
                                   the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman,                          
                                   Pennington, East Polk, West Polk, Red Lake

               Green Peas          Cottonwood, Pope, Stevens, Swift 

               Potatoes            Clearwater, Lake Of The Woods

               Sugar Beets         Brown, Nicollet

               Sweet Corn          Cottonwood, Douglas, East Ottertail, 
                                   Grant, Stevens, Swift

               Forage Production   Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon,
                                   Redwood, Renville, Yellow Medicine

               Forage Seeding      Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon,
                                   Redwood, Renville, Yellow Medicine

Mississippi    Corn                Scott

               Cotton              Jones

Montana        Canola              Chouteau, Fergus, Liberty, Pondera, Teton,                         
                                   Toole

Nebraska       Popcorn             Johnson, Hamilton

               Sugar Beets         Chase, Deuel, Keith, Perkins

               Sunflowers          Dawson, Gosper, Phelps

                                   Page 2 of 4                

               1998 EXPANSION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP                COUNTY/COUNTIES

Nevada         Forage Seeding      Churchill, Lyon 

North Dakota   Canola             Benson, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks, 
                                  McHenry, Nelson, Pembina, Renville,                        
                                  Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Wells
     
               Forage Production  Slope

Oklahoma       Potatoes           Caddo

               Rye                Logan, Alfalfa, Blaine, Kingfisher, Major

               Soybeans           Garfield, Kingfisher

Oregon         Apple              Wasco

               Cranberries        Curry

               Pears              Wasco

               Sugar Beets        Union

South Carolina Cotton             Fairfield, Newberry

Texas          Corn               Wheeler

               C&P Beans          Bailey, Lamb

               Grain Sorghum      Reeves

               Hybrid Corn Seed   Medina, Uvalde

               Hybrid Sorghum     Briscoe, Carson, Lamb
               Seed

               Oats               Blanco, Comal, Hays

                                  Page 3 of 4

               1998 EXPANSION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP               COUNTY/COUNTIES

Texas          Onions             Cameron, Dimmit, Hidalgo, Kleberg,                         
                                  Maverick, Starr, Uvalde, Webb, Willacy,                   
                                  Zapata, Zavala

               Peanuts            Karnes

               Soybeans           Brazos, Carson, Goliad 

               Sugar Beets        Bailey, Floyd, Hale, Lamb, Potter 

               Sunflowers         Briscoe, Carson, Hale

               Wheat              Colorado, Fort Bend, Jackson, Kleberg,                    
                                  Reeves, Refugio

                                  Page 4 of 4
               
               1998 EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP               COUNTY/COUNTIES

Alabama        Sweetpotatoes       Baldwin                  

California     Avocados            Ventura

               Sweetpotatoes       Merced

Colorado       GRP Forage          Alamosa, Bent, Conejos, Delta, Garfield,
                                   Grand, Jackson, LaPlata, Larimer, Las
                                   Animas, Logan, Mesa, Montrose, Otero,
                                   Prowers, Routt, Weld

Florida        Avocado/Mango Trees Dade (new policy)

Georgia        Pecan Revenue       Dougherty, Lee, Mitchell

Idaho          IP Winter Wheat     Idaho, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce

Louisiana      Sweetpotatoes       Avoyelles, Morehouse, West Carroll

Minnesota      GRP Forage          Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Carlton,
                                   Carver, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing,
                                   Douglas, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston,
                                   Itasca, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lincoln,
                                   Marshall, Mille Lacs, Olmsted, East Otter
                                   Tail, West Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, East
                                   Polk, West Polk, Pope, Roseau, St. Louis, 
                                   Wabasha, Wadena, Winona

Montana        GRP Forage          Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater,
                                   Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer,
                                   Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier,
                                   Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis
                                   and Clark, McCone, Madison, Meagher,
                                   Musselshell, Park, Phillips, Pondera, Powder
                                   River, Powell, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt,
                                   Rosebud, Sanders, Stillwater, Sweet Grass,
                                   Teton, Valley, Wheatland, Yellowstone

                                   Page 1 of 4

               1998 EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP                COUNTY/COUNTIES

Montana        IP Winter Wheat     Big Horn, Chouteau, Yellowstone
(cont.)

New Mexico     Pecan Revenue       Dona Ana 

North Carolina Sweetpotatoes       Columbus, Johnston

North Dakota   GRP Forage          Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau,
                                   Bowman, Burleigh, Dickey, Divide, Dunn,
                                   Eddy, Emmons, Grants, Hettinger, Kidder,
                                   La Moure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh,
                                   McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton,
                                   Mountrail, Oliver, Pierce, Rolette, Sheridan,
                                   Sioux, Slope, Stark, Stutsman, Ward, Wells,
                                   Williams

Oklahoma       GRP Forage          Adair, Alfalfa, Atoka, Beckham, Bryan,
                                   Caddo, Canadian, Choctaw, Coal, Craig,
                                   Delaware, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Haskell,
                                   Johnston, Kay, LeFlore, Lincoln, Logan,
                                   McClain, McCurtain, Mayes, Muskogee,
                                   Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage,
                                   Ottawa, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc,
                                   Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Stephens,
                                   Wagoner, Washita

Oregon         Canola/Rapeseed     Morrow, Union

               IP Winter Wheat     Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Wasco

Pennsylvania   GRP Forage          Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Berks,
                                   Bradford, Butler, Centre, Chester, Clarion,
                                   Crawford, Cumberland, Erie, Fayette,
                                   Franklin, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana,
                                   Jefferson, Lancaster, Lycoming, Mercer,
                                   Perry, Somerset, Susquehanna, Tioga,
                                   Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, York

South Carolina Sweetpotatoes       Horry

                                   Page 2 of 4    
           
	       1998 EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP                COUNTY/COUNTIES

Texas          IP Grain Sorghum    Anderson, Andrews, Aransas, Archer, 
                                   Atascosa, Austin,  Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor,
                                   Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque,
                                   Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Briscoe, Brooks,
                                   Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell,
                                   Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Chambers,
                                   Childress, Clay, Coke, Coleman, Collin,
                                   Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche,
                                   Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby,
                                   Dallas, Dawson, Delta, Denton,
                                   De Witt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval,
                                   Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette,
                                   Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Fort Bend, Franklin,
                                   Frio, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie,
                                   Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson,
                                   Guadalupe, Hall, Hamilton, Hardeman,
                                   Harris, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Hidalgo,
                                   Hill, Hood, Houston, Howard, Hunt, Irion,
                                   Jack, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim
                                   Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman,
                                   Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kleberg, Knox,
                                   Lamar, Lampasas, LaSalle, Lavaca, Lee,
                                   Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live
                                   Oak, Lubbock, Lynn, McCulloch,
                                   McLennan, McMullen, Martin, Mason,
                                   Matagorda, Maverick, Medina, Midland,
                                   Milam, Mills, Mitchell,  Montague, Morris,
                                   Motley, Navarro, Nolan, Nueces, Palo Pinto,
                                   Parker, Reagan, Red River, Refugio,
                                   Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, San Patricio,
                                   San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, 
                                   Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, 
                                   Tarrant, Taylor, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom
                                   Green, Travis, Upton, Uvalde, 

                                   Page 3 of 4

               1998 EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAMS 

STATE          CROP                COUNTY/COUNTIES

Texas (cont.)  IP Grain Sorghum    Victoria, Waller, Washington, Webb,
                    (cont.)        Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger,
                                   Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Wise, Young,
                                   Zapata, Zavala

               Pecan Revenue       Culberson, El Paso, Pecos

Washington     Canola/Rapeseed     Columbia, Whitman (added fall canola)

Wyoming        GRP Forage          Albany, Campbell, Carbon, Converse,
                                   Crook, Fremont, Goshen, Laramie, Natrona,
                                   Niobrara, Park, Sheridan, Uinta, Weston

                                          
                                   Page 4 of 4