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Crop insurance policies available in New Hampshire fall into several basic categories.
Multiple Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI), also called yield insurance, protects against production losses due to adverse weather conditions, wildlife damage, fire and failure of irrigation water supply. Crop losses due to insect damage and plant disease are also covered, provided sufficient and proper pest control measures were taken. In New Hampshire, MPCI polices are available for apples, peaches, corn and forage production (legume & legume/grass mixes). Dollar Plan crop policies for fresh market sweet corn and nursery crops provide a guaranteed dollar amount of coverage rather than insuring a production level.
Crop insurance policies allow farmers to choose a coverage level to fit their specific needs. Catastrophic Crop Insurance (CAT) is a minimum level of coverage providing minimal protection against losses at very little cost to the farmer. Higher levels of crop insurance coverage(buy-up protection), protecting up to 85% of approved yield are subsidized by the USDA such that farmers pay only 33 to 62% of the actual policy cost.
Some plans offer options for producers who want protection against low prices or raise crops for specific markets where quality is critical. In New Hampshire, Revenue protection options for corn provide protection against loss of revenue due to price changes and/or production loss. Quality Adjustment Coverage provides protection for apples when a crop does not grade US Fancy or better.
The Pasture, Rangeland, Forage Pilot Insurance Program
The Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) is a relatively new policy. It was offered first time for the 2007 crop year as a Pilot Program in only 7 states. Two years later, the USDA/RMA expanded its availability to another 18 states. Today, this policy is available in all 48 states, including New Hampshire.The PRF Pilot Insurance Program is designed to provide insurance coverage on pasture, rangeland, or forage acres. It was designed to help protect a producer’s operation fromthe risks of forage loss due to the lack of precipitation as the single peril. It is not designed to insure against ongoing or severe drought, as the coverage is based on precipitation expected during specific intervals only.
The PRF program utilizes a rainfall index to determine precipitation for coverage purposes, and does not measure production or loss of products themselves. The Rainfall Index uses National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center (NOAA CPC) data, which utilizes a grid system to determine precipitation amounts within an area.
Coverage is based on a producer’s selection of coverage level, index intervals, and productivity factor. The index interval represents a two-month period, and the period selected should be the one when precipitation is most important to a producer’s operation. Policyholders can select a coverage level from 70 to 90 percent.
More PRF Policy information can be found at https://legacy.rma.usda.gov/policies/pasturerangeforage/.
PRF policies can be bought from a crop insurance agent by the sales closing date. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA service centers and on the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html.
Additional Information
Portable Document Format (.pdf). Visit nh.gov for a list of free .pdf readers for a variety of operating systems.
NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food
Mailing: PO Box 2042, Concord NH 03302 -2042
Physical: 1 Granite Place South, Suite 211, Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-3551 | fax: (603) 271-1109