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SPECIALTY CROPS REPORT 2022 

Report to Congress as required by section 508(a)(6)(A)&(B) of the Federal 

Crop Insurance Act 

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 
 

 

 

Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................2 

2018 FARM BILL .................................................................................................................................4 

NEW POLICY OR PLAN OF INSURANCE – NO EXISTING POLICY ......................................................4 

NEW POLICY OR PLAN OF INSURANCE – EXISTING POLICY ............................................................5 

EXPANSIONS OF POLICIES OR INSURANCE PLANS.........................................................................6 

WHOLE FARM REVENUE PROTECTION PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS.........................................................8 

RESEARCH, CONTRACTS, STUDIES, WORKGROUPS............................................................................10 

APPLES....................................................................................................................................10 

AQUACULTURE .........................................................................................................................11 

CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE ..............................................................................11 

PERENNIAL/SPECIALTY CROP WORKGROUP ..............................................................................11 

TRANSITIONAL AND ORGANIC GROWER ASSISTANCE..................................................................13 

INDUSTRY OUTREACH .......................................................................................................................13 

SPECIALTY CROP PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.....................................................................................16 

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Executive Summary 

The 2022 Specialty Crops Report is submitted by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) on 

behalf of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) in response to Section 508(a)(6)(A) & 

(B) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act), as amended. The statute requires that the Federal 

Crop Insurance Corporation report to Congress on the progress and expected timetable for 

expanding crop insurance coverage to specialty crops: 

“508 (6) ADDITION OF NEW AND SPECIALTY CROPS (INCLUDING VALUE-ADDED 

CROPS). — 

(A) ANNUAL REVIEW.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Agriculture 

Improvement Act of 2018, and annually thereafter, the manager of the Corporation shall 

prepare, to the maximum extent practicable, based on data shared from the noninsured crop 

disaster assistance program established by section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement 

and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333), written agreements, or other data, and present to the 

Board not less than 1 of each of the following: 

(i) Research and development for a policy or plan of insurance for a commodity for which 

there is no existing policy or plan of insurance. 

(ii) Expansion of an existing policy or plan of insurance to additional counties or States, 

including malting barley endorsements or contract options. 

(iii) Research and development for a new policy or plan of insurance, or endorsement, for 

commodities with existing policies or plans of insurance, such as dollar plans. 

(B) REPORT. — Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and 

annually thereafter, the Corporation shall report to Congress on the progress and 

expected timetable for expanding crop insurance coverage under this subtitle to new 

and specialty crops.” 

This report fulfills subsection (B) above and will capture how RMA’s ongoing efforts also meet 

the requirements for specialty crops, as specified in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 

(Farm Bill). 

RMA classifies specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture 

nursery crops (including floriculture). This classification is consistent with the definition of 

specialty crops as specified in the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 

note), as modified by the Agricultural Act of 2014. 

Federal crop insurance is a vital link to the soundness and prosperity of specialty crop 

producers who play a pivotal role in providing fresh, local, and healthful food to the nation. Crop 

insurance products for specialty crops have been a strong priority since the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104 – 127). In 2021, crop insurance protected more 

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than $22 billion in insurance liability for specialty crops. Additionally, market penetration for 

fruit and nut crops encompassed 65 percent of their market potential in 2021. Market 

penetration for vegetable crops encompassed 81 percent of their market potential in 2021. 

The pandemic continues to create challenges for producers to meet with their crop 

insurance agent to report mandatory records, submit applications, collect signatures and 

more. In response, RMA extended program flexibilities to producers and approved 

insurance providers (AIP) to support the health and safety of all parties while ensuring the 

Federal crop insurance program continues to serve as a vital risk management tool. This 

includes extending program deadlines and waiving certain requirements to ensure continuity 

of crop insurance services. For example, AIPs can request a 30-day extension to submit 

determined yield requests for perennial crops. 

Additionally, RMA re-established its support of risk management education and invested up 

to $2 million in 2022 to support risk management education projects and training programs 

that support historically underserved producers and small-scale farmers. Such educational 

tools are vital to help producers learn how to effectively manage long-term risks and 

challenges. 

2021 showed the importance of crop insurance as a risk management tool for producers 

facing drought, wildfire, hurricanes, winter storms, and more. RMA developed the Hurricane 

Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) program to protect against crop losses from 

hurricanes. The coverage is available in 23 states for 70 crops, including 49 specialty crops, 

in the vicinity of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as Hawaii. For 2021, 

sales for HIP-WI were around 23,000 policies earning premium representing over $1 billion 

in liability. Sales for HIP-WI for specialty crops were around 1,300 policies earning premium 

representing over $170 million in liability for 2021. Over $84 million was paid in indemnities 

for the 2021 crop year. 2022 has seen continued growth with about 15% more policies sold. 

Combined with high prices and potential changes in the coverage level of underlying plans, 

HIP-WI is likely to see a very large increase in liability for 2022 once all acreage is reported 

in the summer. Additionally, RMA is working on researching the viability of adding tropical 

storm coverage, a key request from stakeholders. 

This year’s report provides an update on the key accomplishments and projects initiated and 

offers a look at what is on the horizon for specialty crop producers, including: 

• 2018 Farm Bill Requirements 

• Research, Contracts, Studies, Initiatives 

• Industry Outreach 

• Specialty Crop Program Improvements 

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2018 Farm Bill 

New Policy or Plan of Insurance – No Existing Policy 

This category describes research and development of a policy or plan of 

insurance for a commodity for which no policy or plan of insurance exists 

Micro Farm Insurance Policy 

RMA implemented a new Micro Farm insurance policy specifically for agricultural 

producers with small farms who sell locally. This policy became available beginning with 

the 2022 crop year. The policy is based on research directed by the 2018 Farm Bill to 

study the feasibility of offering insurance targeted toward local foods producers. The 

program is also based on feedback from producers who grow for their local 

communities. The Micro Farm policy is offered through the Whole Farm Revenue 

Protection (WFRP) program, with WFRP serving as the underlying Basic Provisions. 

The feasibility study reported that 85 percent of local food producers make less than 

$75,000 in gross cash farm sales. Therefore, the Micro Farm program is targeted to 

producers that fall within a certain threshold of revenue. To be eligible for insurance 

under the Micro Farm Policy, the producer must have a farm operation that earns an 

average allowable revenue (revenue from the sale of commodities produced on their 

farm operation) of $100,000 or less. By establishing an eligibility threshold of $100,000 

in average allowable revenue, the expectation was that most local food producers would 

be able to obtain coverage under the policy. In the initial year, RMA received feedback 

that the coverage was not high enough to reach producers who played a significant role 

in local food sales. For the 2023 crop year, RMA increased the size of farm operations 

eligible for Micro Farm coverage to $350,000. 

The feasibility study also reported that post-production costs such as packaging 

commodities and value-added products (e.g., jam) for local foods producers far exceed 

those of conventional farmers as a percentage of farm income. Therefore, the Micro 

Farm policy includes revenue generated from post-production in determining the 

allowable revenue used in calculating the insurance guarantee. Under WFRP, revenue 

from post-production operations including those that add value to the commodity must 

be adjusted out of farm revenue to determine the insurance guarantee. Insuring postproduction costs will improve the viability and quality of coverage for local food 

producers. 

Additional provisions that can provide producers more access to the program include 

minimized underwriting requirements, such as not reporting expenses and therefore 

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recordkeeping requirements. It also features coverage levels up to 85 percent. As of 

July 2022, the amount of insurance for the Micro Farm policy has totaled over $670,000. 

New Policy or Plan of Insurance – Existing Policy 

This category describes research and development for a policy, plan of 

insurance, or endorsement for commodities with an existing policy or plan of 

insurance. 

Production and Revenue History 

RMA contracted the development of the Production and Revenue History (PRH) plan of 

insurance for Fresh Market Peppers, Fresh Market Sweet Corn, and Fresh Market 

Tomatoes in the areas where the crops are currently insured under the Dollar Plan of 

insurance. RMA developed the PRH insurance plan to target specialty crops that lack 

viable public price information. A key feature of the plan is that the coverage is based on 

the producer’s personal yield and revenue history, which makes for a much more 

accurate and tailored insurance guarantee for the producer. The plan was first 

implemented for strawberries in select Florida counties for the 2021 crop year and then 

expanded to strawberries in select California counties for the 2022 crop year. 

A contracted evaluation of the Dollar Plan of insurance was completed in 2017 with an 

objective of determining if the program should be continued with modifications, or if it 

should be replaced with an existing or new program. The evaluation found the plan’s 

design was flawed, it had poor industry acceptance, and the appropriate data to operate 

the program was not available. 

RMA identified the PRH insurance plan as a better alternative to address the problem of 

limited data available to operate the Dollar Plan programs. PRH creates insurance 

offers with specific tailoring to the individual producer by using their own histories. This 

requires producers to report their yield and revenue history. While researching PRH for 

the crops, RMA reached out to fresh market sweet corn, pepper, and tomato industries 

in the Florida region in 2019, hosting five in-person listening sessions. RMA also 

conducted listening sessions and stakeholder interviews in 2021. Two in-person 

sessions were held in Florida, along with individual phone interviews. Two in-person 

sessions and one virtual session were held for peppers, along with 15 individual phone 

interviews. For sweet corn, six in-person sessions were held across the country—two in 

Florida and two in Georgia. There was also a virtual session, along with 39 individual 

phone interviews. Input gathered from these sessions verified input obtained from the 

2017 evaluation. 

PRH should address many of the issues identified with the Dollar Plan and accounts for 

the many unique aspects of specialty crops, including: 

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• different cost and revenue structures across farms of different sizes, 

• different prices received for different types, seasons, and practices, and from 

selling through different market channels, 

• adequate data needed for specific insurance coverage does not exist, 

• an allowance for increasing harvest and post-harvest costs, and 

• an upfront in-field valuation of insurance to account for high harvest and postharvest costs. 

RMA plans to present the PRH Insurance Plan for Peppers, Fresh Market Sweet Corn 

and Fresh Market Tomatoes to the FCIC Board of Directors for consideration to send for 

expert review. Below is a map of the states where the Dollar Plan programs are 

available for Fresh Market Sweet Corn, Fresh Market Tomatoes, and Fresh Market 

Peppers and where the PRH plan will be proposed for the crops. 

Dollar Plan Program Availability 

FM Corn FM Corn & FM Pepper 

FM Tomato FM Tomato & FM Pepper 

FM Pepper FM Corn, FM Tomato, 

& FM Pepper 

FM Corn & FM Tomato 

Expansions of Policies or Insurance Plans 

This category describes expansions of existing policies or plans of insurance to 

additional counties or states. 

RMA continually communicates with producers and other interested parties to identify 

where there is a need to expand the availability of risk management products to 

producers. Expansion of products is generally made to areas where RMA is aware the 

crop is grown, there is some history or experience of the crops’ performance, and there 

is significant grower interest in the product. Program expansion requests are often 

initiated by producers at the local level and channeled through RMA’s Regional Offices 

for approval. The following chart lists expansions of specialty crop programs for the 

2022 crop year. 

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2022 CROP YEAR EXPANSIONS FOR SPECIALTY CROPS 

Crop State Counties 

Almonds California Placer, Sacramento 

Blueberries Oregon Douglas 

Dry Beans Missouri Dunklin 

Nebraska Banner, Box Butte, Chase, 

Cherry, Cheyenne, Custer, 

Dawes, Deuel, Dundy, 

Frontier, Garden, Hayes, 

Hitchcock, Holt, Keith, 

Kimball, Lincoln, Morrill, 

Perkins, Red Willow, 

Rock, Scotts Bluff, 

Sheridan, Sioux, Big Horn, 

Fremont, Goshen, 

Laramie, Park, Platte, 

Washakie 

North Dakota Logan, McIntosh 

Colorado Adams, Boulder, 

Cheyenne, Crowley, Delta, 

Dolores, El Paso, Kit 

Carson, La Plata, Larimer, 

Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, 

Montezuma, Montrose, 

Morgan, Otero, Phillips, 

Pueblo, San Miguel, 

Sedgwick, Washington, 

Weld, Yuma 

Dry Peas Idaho Canyon 

Oregon Wallowa 

Fresh Market Sweet Corn North Carolina Hyde, Jones 

Fresh Market Tomatoes North Carolina Haywood, Madison, Polk, 

Rutherford 

Grapes Washington Adams 

Hybrid Sweet Corn Seed Oregon Umatilla 

Washington Yakima 

Mandarins/Tangerines California Kings 

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Lemons Florida Charlotte, Highlands 

Nursery Value Select Florida Calhoun, Citrus, 

Columbia, De Soto, 

Hardee, Highlands, 

Lafayette, Okeechobee, 

Pasco, St. Lucie 

Pistachios California Sacramento 

Walnuts California Sacramento 

Whole Farm Revenue Protection 

Program Modifications 

The 2018 Farm Bill required RMA to research ways to reduce paperwork and 

recordkeeping requirements for direct marketed commodities under the Whole Farm 

Revenue Protection (WFRP) plan of insurance. RMA previously implemented provisions 

to meet these Farm Bill requirements as discussed in the previous annual report. In 

addition, RMA worked with stakeholders to identify other improvements to WFRP. On 

August 25, 2021, the FCIC Board approved the following changes for the 2022 crop 

year to WFRP that benefit organic and aquaculture producers: 

• Increased the expansion limits for organic producers to the higher of $500,000 or 

35 percent from the previous limit of 35 percent for all operations. 

o This modification is based on feedback from stakeholders in the organic 

industry indicating the previous limits to expanding operations was too 

constrained for the needs of small- and mid-size operations converting 

acreage to an organic practice. 

• Increased the limit of insurance for aquaculture producers from $2 million to $8.5 

million, allowing more aquaculture producers to participate in the program. 

o This modification is based on outreach to stakeholders which revealed 

many aquaculture industries have average sizes above $2 million. 

Although some aquaculture producers are interested in WFRP, the 

previous livestock limit excluded those producers from participating in the 

program. 

• Allowed producers to report acreage as certified organic when the producers 

have requested an organic certification by the date the Revised Farm Operation 

Report is due. 

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o This modification incorporates flexibility allowances made during the 

COVID-19 pandemic and makes WFRP consistent with other FCIC 

policies. 

• Provided producers flexibility to report a partial yield history when they lack 

records by inserting a zero yield for missing years. 

o Previously, a missing year of records resulted in the expected value of a 

commodity to be zero. 

On August 18, 2022, the FCIC Board approved additional modifications for the 2023 

and succeeding crop years which directly address stakeholder concerns regarding 

coverage and record requirements: 

• Increased the maximum insurable revenue to $17 million from $8.5 million, 

allowing more producers to participate in the program. 

• Reduced yield reporting requirements at the beginning of the year, 

significantly reducing the paperwork required to apply for WFRP. 

• Replaced existing expense reporting procedures with a 40% reduction in 

expected revenue from commodities which cannot be planted due to 

insurable causes. This reduction results in a similar value to prevented 

planting payments for other programs. 

WFRP is an important product for producers of any crop. The following table 

highlights participation in the program over time. RMA will continue to work with 

growers to determine ways to improve the program to meet their needs. 

WFRP Participation 

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

Policies 2,203 2,731 2,477 2,160 2,023 1,915 

Liability $2.330 B $2.842 B $2.664 B $2.338 B $2.251 B $2.173 B 

Avg Crops per Policy 3.71 4.01 4.04 3.86 3.73 3.62 

Different Crops 

Insured 

258 289 300 278 284 273 

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Research, Contracts, Studies, 

Workgroups 

Apples 

RMA issued a proposed rule to amend the Apple Crop Provisions. The proposed 

changes are based on stakeholder feedback and recommended changes from a 

contracted study on the apple crop insurance program. Following feedback from the 

proposed rule, RMA will publish a final rule that is targeted to be effective for the 2024 

crop year. The objective of the rule is to provide policy changes to better meet the 

needs of the apple producers, to address program vulnerabilities that have caused 

increased loss ratios and rising premium costs, and to provide safeguards against fraud, 

waste, and abuse. 

Specifically, RMA proposed to make changes to the apple crop insurance program to: 

• Enable producers to elect different coverage levels and percent of price elections 

by type, which allows producers to manage individual coverage and price risk 

more effectively. 

• Allow producers’ premiums to be reduced in response to orchard management 

practices, such as removing or grafting trees, that typically occur after the 

acreage reporting date and decrease an orchard’s productivity. 

• Allow producers to insure at a higher price for apples sold predominantly to direct 

markets or premium processing markets. 

• Exclude apples sold for the slicer market from being considered “fresh apple 

production.” 

• Introduce a fresh fruit factor to account for the reduced market value of 

production insured under the Quality Option sold for a grade other than U.S. 

Fancy. 

RMA solicited comments on these proposed changes. The initial comment period 

closed on February 14, 2022, and was extended to April 15, 2022, given the large 

interest. RMA received nearly 1,200 comments from 200 commenters. Currently, RMA 

is assessing comments to the proposed rule in an effort to finalize changes to the apple 

policy. As RMA believes information from apple producers and other stakeholders will 

aid in creating a more effective and beneficial service to the agriculture community, it 

plans to continue engagement efforts in the spring of 2023 towards finalizing the final 

rule. RMA anticipates publishing final changes in 2023 to implement for the 2024 crop 

year. 

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Aquaculture 

A contract for the development of an aquaculture/shellfish program is underway. 

Although challenging to insure, industry demand for risk management options has 

prompted RMA to explore feasibility of new policy designs. An initial concept of a new 

insurance product for oysters was presented to the FCIC Board in May 2022. A full 

product proposal is expected to be presented to the FCIC Board in November 2022, for 

consideration of sending to expert review. RMA hopes a new policy can be ready as 

early as the 2024 crop year. 

Controlled Environment Agriculture 

A contract is currently underway for research and development of a policy specifically 

designed for production in a controlled environment, such as a greenhouse. This work is 

in follow-up to the feasibility study of such a product, pursuant to the 2018 Farm Bill. 

The product is using the Nursery Value Select design as a model. However, significant 

modifications will need to be made because nursery products are designed to insure the 

plant, whereas greenhouse production also concerns the output of the plant (fruit, cut 

flower, etc.). RMA is working collaboratively with the contractor in developing a new 

inventory-based crop insurance product which establishes the guarantee based on 

inventory values in the operation. Additionally, the product is intended to cover a single 

peril—disease—which the contractor determined to be the primary risk for controlled 

environment producers. RMA is targeting to make a policy available for purchase in 

2023. 

Perennial/Specialty Crop Workgroup 

RMA formed an internal and external Perennial and Specialty Crop Workgroup 

consisting of RMA staff from multiple offices and industry personnel. The workgroup 

members share knowledge from their respective areas and work together to generate 

consistency in program delivery, as appropriate. The workgroups meet regularly to 

discuss issues pertinent to perennial and specialty crops in an effort to collectively 

collaborate and identify needed program changes. Recently, the workgroup met over 

several months to formulate recommended changes concerning direct market and 

vertically integrated producers. The proposed changes were shared with external 

stakeholders for review. The changes were incorporated into policy for the 2023 and 

succeeding crop years. 

The changes benefit specialty crop producers who now have greater flexibility to use 

their own records to meet crop insurance reporting requirements. The revisions make it 

easier for specialty crop producers and others who sell through direct marketing 

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channels to obtain insurance, report their annual production, and file a claim. Optimizing 

reporting requirements for direct marketers and vertically integrated operations help 

make insurance easier and more accessible for countless producers, including those 

who grow specialty crops and are an important part of our local and regional food 

systems. 

Specifically, the changes include: 

• A new marketing certification that allows producers to self-identify if they will not 

have disinterested third-party records, when required, and enables them to use their 

own supporting production records. This benefits direct marketers and vertically 

integrated producers because they often do not have disinterested third-party 

records. 

• Allowing producers to use their own records, thereby limiting the need for AIP 

preharvest appraisals as a supporting record. 

Before these changes, RMA generally required disinterested third-party records, which 

were hard for some producers to obtain, and AIPs may have conducted preharvest 

appraisals as a supporting production record. These updates also improve transparency 

in the producer’s policy by adding production reporting definitions, listing the 30-day 

appeal deadline for good farming practice determinations, clarifying where a producer 

can find information in the policy, and updating terminology to be consistent across the 

policy. 

The changes are specified in a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on 

June 30, 2022. The changes impacted 20 Crop Provisions, listed below: 

• Arizona/California Citrus • Fresh Market Tomato GPP 

• Blueberries • Macadamia Nuts 

• Cabbage • Onions 

• California Avocado • Peaches 

• Cranberry • Pears 

• Florida Avocado • Pecan Revenue 

• Forage Production • Prunes 

• Fresh Market Peppers • Stonefruit 

• Fresh Market Sweet Corn • Table Grapes 

• Fresh Market Tomato Dollar Plan • Texas Citrus Fruit 

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Transitional and Organic Grower Assistance 

RMA is offering premium assistance to producers with crop insurance for crops in 

transition to organic or a certified organic grain or feed crop for the 2023 reinsurance 

year. The Transitional and Organic Grower Assistance (TOGA) Program reduces a 

producer’s overall crop insurance premium bills and helps the producer continue to use 

organic agricultural systems. A nationwide program, TOGA is part of USDA’s Organic 

Transition Initiative, a group of programs that build more and better markets for 

American producers and consumers, improve the resilience of the food supply chain, 

and address the economic challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. All transitional to 

organic policies will receive 10 percentage points of premium subsidy; certified organic 

grain and feed crops will receive $5 per acre premium subsidy; and WFRP policies with 

either organic or transitional crops reported will receive 10 percentage points of 

premium subsidy until funds are exhausted. Eligible organic specialty crops include dry 

beans, dry peas, and fresh market sweet corn. 

Industry Outreach 

RMA regularly consults and engages with a wide range of diverse stakeholders, 

including producers, universities and trade schools, AIPs, industry partners, and 

producer groups regarding its programs’ effectiveness. Amid the pandemic, RMA has 

had the flexibility to conduct much of its outreach virtually. Such efforts afford the 

opportunity to directly hear from growers of their unique risk management needs and 

challenges they face. 

RMA also discusses satisfaction and concerns with crop insurance policies with 

stakeholders through Program Performance Assessments (PPA). PPAs are performed 

to evaluate the overall performance of specific crop policies or procedure that is cross 

cutting and ensures policy language, AIP performance, and loss adjustment activities 

are effective, adaptive, and sound. 

Effective outreach is necessary to accomplish the following: 

• Educate and inform specialty crop producers with the information they need to 

effectively manage their risk and remain productive. 

• Provide producers with the latest news and updates regarding crop insurance 

programs. 

• Identify attributes of the program that are working well and the aspects that need to 

be changed to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

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The following chart highlights outreach conducted since the 2021 report to Congress 

was submitted. 

Date Event Participating 

RMA 

Office(s) 

Purpose Audience Location 

10/4/21 Building a 

Relationship 

Between USDA 

and 

Haudenosaunee 

Raleigh RO Presented 

overview of crop 

insurance 

program 

Haudenosaunee 

Confederacy of 

New York 

Virtual 

10/7/21 Farm to 

Institution New 

England 

Raleigh RO Data gathering for 

specialty crop 

program 

expansion 

Urban and local 

market 

producers 

Virtual 

10/12/21 Crop Insurance 

Q&A hosted by 

the University of 

Hawaii 

Davis RO Q&A on crop 

insurance 

Producers Virtual 

10/14/21 North Carolina 

USDA Beginning 

Farmer and 

Rancher Series 

Raleigh RO Presentation on 

benefits and 

eligibility rules for 

beginning farmers 

and ranchers 

USDA agencies Virtual 

10/26/21 Micro Farm 

Policy 

Presentation for 

USDA Local 

Regional Food 

Systems 

Working Group 

Product 

Management 

and Risk 

Management 

Education 

Presentation on 

feasibility of 

insuring local food 

production 

Grower group Virtual 

11/8/21 Kentucky 

Horticulture 

Council Webinar 

Jackson RO Presenting an 

overview of 

specialty crop 

programs and 

WFRP 

New farmers 

and ranchers 

Webinar 

12/7/21 UW-River Falls 

Crop Insurance 

Presentation 

St. Paul RO Presentation on 

overview of crop 

insurance 

University 

students 

Virtual 

12/2/21 Q&A with Hawaii 

coffee producers 

Davis RO Answer producer 

questions 

regarding Hawaii 

Tropical Fruit and 

Tree program 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Virtual 

7/8/21 National 

Sustainable 

Agriculture 

Coalition 

Product 

Management 

Discuss 

improvements to 

WFRP 

Coalition 

members 

Virtual 

8, 10, Listening Product Obtain feedback Producers and Florida, 

11, Sessions on Management on PRH as industry Georgia, 

12/2021 PRH for peppers, 

FM sweet corn, 

potential plan for 

producers 

members Virtual 

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Date Event Participating 

RMA 

Office(s) 

Purpose Audience Location 

and FM 

tomatoes 

1/6/22 USDA Oregon 

BFR “In the 

Know” 

Spokane RO Presentation on 

beginning farmer 

and rancher 

programs 

Beginning 

farmers and 

ranchers 

Virtual 

1/7/22 Virginia 

Aquaculture 

Conference 

Raleigh RO Presentation on 

WFRP 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Conference 

1/11/22 Insurance and 

Disaster 

Assistance 

Programs for 

Specialty Crop 

Growers 

St. Paul RO Presentation on 

WFRP and Micro 

Farm Policy 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Virtual 

1/12/22 Vermont Hemp 

Conference 

Raleigh RO Presentation on 

crop insurance 

options 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Conference 

1/25/22 Georgia’s 

Farmers 

Conference 

Valdosta RO Presentation on 

Micro Farm policy 

African 

American 

producers 

Virtual 

2/8/22 University of 

Connecticut 

Micro Farm 

Presentation 

Raleigh RO Presentation on 

Micro Farm policy 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Virtual 

2/16/22 MOSES Organic 

Conference 

Risk 

Management 

Education 

Host informational 

booth 

Organic 

producers 

Conference 

2/22/22 Minnesota Grape 

Growers 2022 

Cold Climate 

Conference 

St. Paul RO Presentation on 

grape insurance 

program 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Virtual 

3/4/22 Michigan Family 

Farms 

Conference 

Springfield RO Presentation on 

Micro Farm policy 

and beginning 

farmer/rancher 

benefits 

Hispanic 

producers 

Virtual 

3/8/22 Fresh Market 

Tomato PPA 

Outreach 

Valdosta RO Obtain feedback 

on tomato 

program 

Grower groups, 

extension 

personnel 

E-mail 

3/14/22 Michigan 

Blueberry PPA 

Outreach 

Springfield RO Obtain 

recommendations 

for blueberry 

program 

Grower 

organizations 

E-mail 

3/16/22 Michigan Food & 

Farming 

Systems 

Springfield RO Present on Micro 

Farm policy 

Producers Conference 

3/16/22 Vermont 

Industrial Hemp 

Conference 

Raleigh RO Presentation on 

Hemp and Micro 

Farm policies 

Specialty crop 

producers 

Virtual 

15 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date Event Participating 

RMA 

Office(s) 

Purpose Audience Location 

3/18/22 National 

Sustainable 

Agriculture 

Coalition 

Product 

Management 

Discuss 

recommendations 

to WFRP 

NSAC 

representatives 

Virtual 

3/25/22 Processing Bean 

PPA Outreach 

St. Paul RO Obtain input for 

processing bean 

program 

Regional 

producer groups, 

government 

offices, 

universities 

E-mail 

4/1/22 Florida Avocado 

Committee 

meeting 

Valdosta RO Obtain feedback 

on avocado 

program 

Producer 

organizations 

Virtual 

4/5/22 Pecan PPA 

Outreach 

Valdosta RO Obtain 

recommendations 

for pecan program 

University of 

Georgia 

extension 

representative 

Virtual 

5/16/22 Michigan 

Blueberry Kickoff 

Springfield RO Discuss ways to 

improve blueberry 

program 

Michigan State 

University 

Extension 

Virtual 

7/12/22 Creamer Potato 

Program 

Improvement 

Davis RO Discuss ways to 

improve the potato 

program 

Producer 

organizations 

Virtual 

7/12/22 PRH Discussion Valdosta RO, 

Product 

Management 

Discuss overview 

of PRH insurance 

plan 

Producer, crop 

insurance agent 

Virtual 

7/25-

7/28 

New England 

Outreach 

Raleigh RO, 

Product 

Management 

Farm visits Producers New 

England 

states 

Specialty Crop Program 

Improvements 

RMA continually refines existing specialty crop programs to improve coverage and 

increase participation. Coverage for specialty crops overall has grown steadily over the 

past 15 years. In 2021, the amount of insurance for specialty crops totaled around $22 

billion, as shown in the chart below. The following are recently implemented 

improvements to programs. 

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FCIC Program Growth for Specialty Crops 

Liability ($Billion) 

22 

20 

18 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

Fruits/Nuts/Trees Nursery Vegetables AGR / WFRP 

• 2022 Crop Year Changes 

o Fresh Market Beans 

 This pilot program was converted to a permanent one based on its 

actuarial soundness and the overall acceptability of the program to 

producers, AIPs, and other interested parties. 

 Modified the policy by applying an overplanting factor to production 

counted during claim settlement to improve accuracy. 

o Grapes 

 Allowed producers with both contracted and non-contracted 

production the ability to use a weighted average price for their 

production. 

 Extended the acreage reporting date from January 15 to May 15 to 

allow producers additional time to finalize their contracts in Idaho, 

Oregon, and Washington. 

 Clarified how to convert a contract price expressed in dollars per 

acre to dollars per ton. 

o Hemp 

 Added flexibility to insurability requirements for hemp under 

contract. 

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 Clarified how the amount of insurable acreage is determined if the 

processor contract specifies both an acreage and a production 

amount. 

 Added insurability requirement for producers who grow directseeded hemp to have acreage inspected and have met minimum 

plant requirements. 

o Pistachios 

 Revised the calculation for the Variability Adjustment Factor (VAF) 

to utilize the producer’s actual yield data instead of using a fixed 

formula to calculate the VAF. The revision is supported by growers 

and will improve the accuracy of the insurance guarantee. The VAF 

is a ratio that adjusts the guarantee to account for the alternative 

bearing nature of the pistachio crop. 

 Added VAF maximums and minimums to be used when the 

calculated VAF is outside an established range to promote program 

soundness. 

o Sweet and Tart Cherries 

 Extended the end of insurance for revenue losses from January 15 

to March 1 to accommodate producers in Michigan, New York, and 

Wisconsin who may not have sold their production by the previous 

end of insurance date to ensure producers can use their actual 

price when determining claims. 

 Recognize sweet cherries in Michigan as a distinct processing type 

that often receives a higher price than briner and other processing 

types. 

 Expanded coverage by allowing written agreement requests for 

sweet and tart cherries in all counties and states. 

• 2023 Crop Year Changes 

o APH Caneberries 

 Simplified the program by removing the cut back, grow through, 

mow down, and new planting growing practices, alleviating the 

need for producers to maintain production records at the growing 

practice level. The change was made in response to feedback 

concerning the complexity of maintaining production records for 

locations containing multiple growing practices within the same field 

or unit. 

 Added insurance coverage for direct marketed caneberries. 

o Florida Avocado 

 Added a new mid-variety type, in response to producer requests 

and the Florida Avocado Administrative Committee. This mid18 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

variety type will better align insurance coverage with industry 

designations for early, mid, and late variety type growing practices 

and harvest periods. 

o Florida Citrus APH 

 Expanded coverage for lemons to the counties of Broward, 

Charlotte, DeSoto, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, 

Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, and Sarasota in Florida. 

 Moved the deadline for a revised acreage report and the date 

insurance attaches following a revised acreage report from March 1 

to May 15 to allow additional time for ownership and lease 

changes. 

 Removed the acreage limitation for producers insuring a contract 

price. Producers with both contracted and non-contracted 

production can use a weighted average price to value their 

production. 

 Allowed state required, detailed trip tickets to be considered as 

acceptable production records for APH purposes when multiple 

units are commingled in a single conveyance (truck, fruit trailer, 

etc.). 

 Provided quality adjustment for low juice content due to an 

insurable cause of loss to fruit production insured as fresh but later 

sold as juice. This makes the policy more consistent with the 

Florida Citrus Fruit Dollar Plan, which will provide for an easier 

transition from the Dollar Plan to the APH plan. 

o Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) 

 Clarified policy provisions and terms to indicate that coverage 

provided by this endorsement may be combined with other 

endorsements that do not duplicate the coverage of HIP-WI and is 

not limited to the Supplement Coverage Option Endorsement and 

the Stacked Income Protection Plan. 

o Hybrid Vegetable Seed 

 Revised the policy to determine the amount of insurance in terms of 

gross acres instead of female acres. This alleviates the need for 

calculations to convert to gross and female acres. 

o Pecan Trees 

 Several program modifications were implemented to simplify the 

program to increase producer participation. 

• Reduced the number of pecan tree improved variety group 

types from 3 to 2. This simplification should help adjusters 

administer loss adjustment in the field. 

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• Reduced the number of growth stages available from 5 to 3. 

This simplification should reduce the administrative burden 

for the producer and AIPs to report and track tree stages for 

underwriting and loss adjustment purposes. 

• Eliminated “native” type of trees in states where pecan trees 

do not grow naturally. All other states in which native pecans 

represent most or a large proportion of the pecan acreage 

will continue to offer insurability for native trees meeting the 

commercial orchard definition. 

• Removed organic practices and the restoration method 

choices used to calculate liability and premium. This is 

intended to simplify the actuarial documents, recognizing 

that these organic practices do not apply to the replacement 

and rehabilitation coverage provided for insurable pecan 

trees. 

• Improved pricing accuracy by offering separate tree 

reference prices for irrigated and non-irrigated practices. 

• Removed drought as a cause of loss for Alabama, Florida, 

Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina due to 

the lower probability of extended drought damage in these 

areas. 

See the Appendix for the information below concerning specialty crop insurance 

programs. 

• Individual Specialty Crops Insured Under 2021 Crop Insurance Programs 

• Market penetration by categories of fruits/nuts and vegetables 

• RMA/NASS specialty crop comparison tables 

• Top specialty crops in liabilities 

RMA is committed to continue its focus on 

expanding crop insurance options for 

specialty crop producers. 

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