WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) submitted comments today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore crop insurance buy-up coverage for acres prevented from being planted, warning that recent changes weaken a critical risk management tool for farmers facing mounting economic pressure.
“Family farmers and ranchers are facing some of the most challenging economic conditions in decades. The decision to eliminate the option to purchase additional coverage for prevented planting only deepens that strain,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “When high input costs, volatile markets, and extreme weather converge, farmers need every risk management tool available to protect their operations. We strongly urge USDA to restore prevented planting buy-up coverage so farmers can continue to manage risk and remain economically viable.”
When weather conditions prevent timely planting, buy-up coverage provides critical protection for producers of covered commodities in all 50 states, helping them manage financial losses and maintain stability through increasingly unpredictable growing seasons. USDA released the proposed change in December as part of a much larger set of crop insurance updates.
Read the full comments here.