United States 

Department of 

Agriculture A Risk Management Agency Fact Sheet 

Apiculture Pilot Insurance Program 

Honey, Pollen Collection, Beeswax, Breeding Stock 

November 2010 

Program Aid 

Number 2000 

The Risk Management Agency is now offering 

pilot insurance programs for apiculture. These 

new pilot programs use rainfall and vegetation 

greenness indices to estimate local rainfall and 

plant health, allowing beekeepers to purchase 

insurance protection against production risks. The 

Rainfall Index and the Vegetation Index use the 

same basic provisions as the Pasture, Rangeland, 

Forage pilot program. Basic provisions are the 

terms and conditions included in all policies under 

these plans. 

The Apiculture Pilot Insurance Programs provide 

a safety net for beekeepers’ primary income 

sources – honey, pollen collection, wax, and 

breeding stock. Apiculture systems consist of 

different types of plants or crops and often 

contain mixtures of different species, each with 

different growth habits and seasons, vegetation 

greenness and health, rain requirements, and other 

climate conditions necessary to maintain plant 

growth over extended periods of time. The 

Rainfall Index and Vegetation Index apiculture 

programs use new technology to assess losses in 

plant production across diverse plant conditions 

and environments. 

The Apiculture Pilot Insurance Program is only 

available in selected States and counties. To test 

each index in various climates, soils, and weather 

conditions, the Apiculture Pilot Insurance 

Programs are available in six regions across the 

country: the warm and humid Southeast, the cool 

and humid Northeast, the Northern Great Plains, 

the Southern Great Plains, the semi-arid 

Southwest, and the intermountain region of the 

Northwest. You can see the States and counties 

where the Rainfall Index and the Vegetation Index 

pilot programs are available at: http:// 

www.rma.usda.gov/policies/ri-vi/apiculture.html. 

The Rainfall Index uses National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction 

Center (NOAA CPC) data, and each grid is 0.25 

degrees in latitude by 0.25 degrees in longitude. 

You must select at least two, 2-month time 

periods where rain is important to your operation 

in your area. These time periods are called index 

intervals. Your insurance payments will be 

calculated using NOAA CPC data for the grid(s) 

and index interval(s) you have chosen to insure. 

When the final grid index falls below your 

“trigger grid index,” (coverage level multiplied by 

the expected grid index) you may receive a loss 

payment. This insurance coverage is for a single 

peril—lack of rain. Coverage is based on the 

experience of the entire grid. It is NOT based 

on individual farms, ranches, or specific 

weather stations in the general area. (You can 

find more detailed information at the NOAA Web 

site: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/ 

outreach/research_papers/ncep_cpc_atlas/7/ 

toc.html) 

The Vegetation Index uses data from the U.S. 

Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation 

and Science data center called the Normalized 

Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The NDVI 

is a measure of vegetation greenness and is used 

to estimate plant condition in approximately 4.8 x 

4.8 mile grids. This index is not a direct measure 

of honey and other apiculture production. It is a 

measure of all vegetation in a grid. In general, the 

healthier the plants in a given grid, the higher the 

NDVI value will be. With this insurance plan you 

may select one or more 3-month time periods that 

represent your apiculture practices. These time 

periods are called index intervals. Coverage is 

based on losses within the 4.8 x 4.8 mile grid 

rather than on an individual beekeeper’s 

losses. Losses for the Vegetation Index are paid 

based on the difference between the normal NDVI 

data (expected grid index) and the actual grid 

index experience during the index interval you 

have chosen to insure. When the final grid index 

falls below your “trigger grid index,” (coverage 

level times the expected grid index) you may 

receive a loss payment. 

County base values for the Apiculture Insurance 

Program are based on honey production and use a 

5-year rolling average of USDA National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) data. The 

This fact sheet gives only a general overview of the Federal Crop Insurance Program and is not a complete policy. For further 

information and an evaluation of your risk management needs, contact a crop insurance agent. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yield data are based on the NASS State average 

and the price is the national average honey price 

for a given year. 

The Apiculture Pilot Insurance Program was 

designed to give you maximum flexibility. You do 

not have to insure all your colonies. However, you 

cannot insure more than the total number of 

colonies you own. By selecting a protection factor, 

you can establish a value between 60 and 150 

percent of the county base value and match the 

amount of protection to the value of the production 

that best represents your specific operation, as well 

as the productive capacity of your colonies. 

You will be asked to make several choices when 

insuring your operation, including coverage level, 

index intervals, protection factor, and number of 

colonies. You should work with your crop 

insurance agent to view the decision tool, map, and 

historical indices for your area. Colonies will be 

assigned to one or more grids based on the location 

to be insured. The Vegetation and Rainfall 

indices do not measure your direct production 

or loss. You are insuring a rainfall or vegetation 

index that is expected to estimate your operation, 

including honey production. Please review 

historical indices for your area to make sure 

that this product will be helpful to you. 

The Apiculture Rainfall Index and Vegetation 

Index pilot programs are being tested in select 

counties and States. You can view a map and a list 

of the counties and States where each index is 

available at: http://www.rma.usda.gov/policies/rivi/apiculture.html. 

Please visit your crop insurance agent for more 

information. If you do not have an agent, you can 

find one online using the RMA agent locator at: 

http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html or at 

any USDA Service Center. 

Contact Us 

USDA/RMA 

Mail Stop 0801 

1400 Independence Ave., SW 

Washington, DC 20250-0801 

Web site: http://www.rma.usda.gov 

E-mail: rma.cco@rma.usda.gov 

Download Copies from the Web 

Visit our online publications/fact sheets page at: 

http://www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/rme/fctsht.html 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital 

status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a 

part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, 

etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 

(voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination write to: USDA, Director, 

Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 

720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 

employer. 

Risk Management Agency Apiculture/PA-2000