VALDOSTA, GA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the fresh market beans insurance program to two southern Florida counties: Hendry and Palm Beach. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) currently offers coverage in New York, North Carolina and Virginia.
“Fresh market bean growers in Florida and stakeholders have asked for crop insurance,” said Davina Lee, director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers Florida. “Because of the warmer climate, the program offered in other northern states didn’t fit Florida growers’ needs. We’ve worked closely with producers to tailor the program to better meet the needs of their operations.”
The sales closing date in Florida is Aug. 31, 2024, for the 2025 crop year. In Florida, the insurance program will offer coverage for three different planting periods (fall, winter, and spring), unlike northern states that only have two planting periods. RMA collaborated with local stakeholders to implement these program modifications.
The fresh market beans insurance program is a multi-peril actual production history (APH) coverage policy that is available to producers who have grown fresh market beans for at least four crop years in the county in which the crop will be insured. The program offers coverage levels between catastrophic and 85%. Fresh market beans are insured as enterprise units only with all insured acreage of the crop in the county insured as one unit for each planting period.
More Information
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting your RMA Regional Office.