The USDA Risk Management announced this summer that agricultural producers may have options for double crop soybeans (or other crops) insurance in counties where the “Following Another Crop” (FAC) practice in not available.

Announcements

• July 12, 2022 USDA Makes It Easier for American Farmers to Grow Food, Ease Burdens for American Families
• May 11, 2022 Remarks by President Biden on Supporting Farmers and American Families

“In May, I joined President Biden at the O’Connor farm in Kankakee, Illinois, to announce a series of actions to help farmers do what they do — grow food for American families and the rest of the world. Today, USDA is making good on one of those commitments and making it easier to plant double crops and sharing some of the financial risk by making crop insurance more available in over 1,500 counties,” said Secretary Vilsack.”

What does this mean?

• You may have the option to request coverage for soybeans planted after wheat (or another fall seeded crop) or double crop soybeans by applying for a written agreement though your crop insurance.
• You also may have the option to request coverage for soybeans planted into wheat via a relay cropping practice. This is defined as a second-planted crop (“relay crop”) that is planted with a generally recognized seeding rate into an established crop (not a cover crop) and in a manner that allows “separate agronomic maintenance and harvest of the crops.”

Frequently Asked Questions

• Double Cropping – Expanded Insurance Coverage– July 2022
• Double Cropping Initiative– October 2022

Why the written agreement?

The standardized or “Blanket Written” agreement is for producers in counties where double crop insurance coverage is not available and is an offer prebuilt by RMA that can be accessed by your crop insurance company. This provides insurance for your FAC soybeans without going through an extensive underwriting process.

Bulletins

• IS-22-003 – Following Another Crop Written Agreement Details for 2023
• MGR-22-009 – Relay Cropping Practice Insurable by Written Agreement

When is the deadline?

The deadline to request coverage using the Blanket Written Agreement is the sales closing date of March 15, 2023.

And if you miss the deadline?

If you are requesting coverage for the first time, you may request a type/practice written agreement through your agent until the July 15^th acreage reporting deadline.

Regional Specific Underwriting Guidance

• Springfield, IL

Maps of Double Cropping Expansion

• National Soybeans (Map│Text)
• National Relay Cropping (Map│Text)

Additional resources released today by USDA include frequently asked questions as well as the Helping Farmers Address Global Food Insecurity webpage on farmers.gov.

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. Producers can learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov.

Resources:

www.rma.usda.gov

Cornbelt Update – 2.13.2023 by Stu Ellis