USDA Makes it Easier to Grow Food Next Year

With challenges related to the pandemic, supply chains, and the war in Ukraine, farmers are doing their part to help stabilize prices and feed both Americans and the world. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making that easier by simplifying the crop insurance application process and expanding double cropping coverage, enabling producers to insure two crops on the same land each year, such as soybeans following the harvest of crops like winter wheat. This is the result of active stakeholder engagement and part of a broader effort by USDA to address global food insecurity and to boost domestic production.

To increase awareness of double cropping, USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds producers that for the 2023 crop year there may be insurance options for double crop soybeans as well as grain sorghum and other crops in counties where the Following Another Crop (FAC) practice is not available.

"It's important that producers know they have insurance options for double cropping, even in counties where coverage is not available," said Brian Frieden, RMA's Springfield, Ill., Regional Office director. "If you're looking at relay cropping or double cropping in counties without coverage, please contact your crop insurance agent for details on requesting a written agreement to provide coverage."

As part of increasing the number of counties where insurance for double cropping is available, RMA held 100-plus meetings and engagements with a broad range of farm organizations and the crop insurance industry in the past few months.

For the 2023 crop year, farmers in Illinois may be eligible to request coverage with a written agreement through their crop insurance company to insure their FAC cropping practice. This process will be simplified by having pre-constructed insurance offers for coverage, known as blanket written agreements, available for Illinois producers wanting to insure double crop soybeans. The deadline to request coverage through a blanket written agreement is the spring sales closing date of March 15.

Information and maps regarding the details of the expansion of these options and blanket written agreements can be found as they become available at the Springfield Regional Office's website.

RMA has also published frequently asked questions specifically related to the expansion effort and more generally about double cropping.

RMA's expansion of double cropping is part of a broader effort to help producers boost production and address global food insecurity. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is also improving opportunities for nutrient management. This includes targeting funding, increasing program flexibilities, launching a new outreach campaign to promote nutrient management's economic benefits, and expanding partnerships to develop nutrient management plans. Meanwhile, USDA's Rural Development is now accepting proposals for its $500 million investment in the new Fertilizer Production Expansion Program.

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.