The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is expanding crop insurance options with a new Grapevine insurance program, which will provide coverage for loss of grafted vines caused by natural perils such as freeze or fire. The new program also will complement the Grape crop insurance program that covers the fruit growing on the vine. August 31, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is improving crop insurance options for small and diversified farmers through improvements to the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WRFP) and Micro Farm insurance plans. These updates are part of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) efforts to increase participation and access to crop insurance. August 31, 2023

The USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced in a Manager's Bulletin announcement (MGR-23-004) on July 21, 2023, that they are aware of concerns about the requirements to pay crop insurance premiums timely in order to avoid accrual of interest. NAU Country will waive interest on Crop-Hail and Named Peril policies until December 1, 2023. A note will be added to the August, September, and October 2023 billing statements informing insureds of this action. In addition, the deferral of interest has no impact on any debt termination dates, as those still must be adhered to, regardless of this bulletin. August 01, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind producers that the application deadline for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two and Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP) is July 14, 2023. The original deadline was June 2, 2023. July 13, 2023

In a recent press release, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they are expanding insurance coverage options for specialty crops and other actual production history (APH) crop programs. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) will expand the availability of enterprise units to crops where they were previously unavailable, giving agricultural producers greater options to manage their risk. July 07, 2023

In a recent press release, the USDA announced corrections to the Emergency Relief Program policy to more accurately reflect 2020 and 2021 natural disaster impacts on crops intended for on-farm use (including grapes grown and used by the same producer for wine production or forage that is grown, stored and fed to livestock, that do not generate revenue directly from the sale of the crop). In addition, duplicative payment provisions for two key conservation programs are also clarified. The deadline to submit applications for ERP Phase Two is July 14, 2023. June 22, 2023

NAU Country President Jim Korin recently provided commentary to Insurance Business Magazine on how crop insurance and farmers may have been impacted by the recent Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) crisis. June 21, 2023

In a press release published today, highlights are shared from NAU Country Insurance Company's President Jim Korin’s compelling testimony at a recent hearing with the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry-Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade. May 25, 2023

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced plans to roll out $3.7 billion in Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) assistance to crop and livestock producers who sustained losses due to a qualifying natural disaster event in calendar year 2022. USDA is sharing early information to allow producers time to gather documents in advance of program delivery. Through distribution of remaining funds, USDA is also concluding the 2021 ELRP program by sending payments in the amount of 20% of the initial ELRP payment to all existing recipients. May 22, 2023

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed two new members of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors, which oversees the Federal crop insurance program available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Chris Bardenhagen and Howard James will serve four-year terms beginning this month on the board, which guides USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) on administering crop insurance. May 18, 2023

On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the "four corners" of the Agriculture Committees met with President Biden and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on the upcoming Farm Bill. After the meeting, the four lawmakers issued a joint statement. May 18, 2023

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors (Board) recently approved revisions to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP)-Fed Cattle plan of insurance. The FCIC Board also approved revisions to the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) plans of insurance and updates were also made to the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) program. May 09, 2023

NAU Country President Jim Korin spoke on the importance of the crop insurance industry at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing. Watch the hearing or view a copy of Jim's testimony. May 04, 2023

NAU Country President Jim Korin is speaking on the importance of the crop insurance industry at the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry - Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade's hearing on Thursday, May 4, 2023. May 01, 2023

At NAU Country, providing top-notch customer service is key. Keeping you informed on the latest industry updates is an area we take pride in providing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they are expanding its Margin Protection (MP) insurance plan, adding more than a thousand counties to the insurance option that provides coverage against an unexpected decrease in operating margin for corn and soybean producers. Join Rich Morrison, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. CDT to learn more about the plan details, the benefits, and where it makes sense. Register today! April 25, 2023

Crop insurance supports our farmers, farmers feed America, and agriculture supports the economic health of our communities. Family farmers are the backbone of rural America – 98% of farms are family operations. Crop insurance helps keep these families growing after disaster, ensuring that they can keep supplying America with an abundant supply of food and fiber. April 25, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its Margin Protection insurance plan, adding more than a thousand counties to the insurance option that provides coverage against an unexpected decrease in operating margin for corn and soybean producers. This expansion, which is in direct response to growing interest among producers, will be available by June 30, 2023. Interested producers will need to purchase their coverage by Sept. 30, 2023, to be eligible for the 2024 crop year. March 31, 2023

Everyone needs farmers, and farmers need affordable and reliable risk management tools. Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net. It protects more than 490 million acres, ensuring that America’s farmers and ranchers can keep producing a safe and affordable supply of food. The farm safety net helps farmers survive the challenges of agriculture and adapt to our changing climate. We all have a vested interest in the success of American agriculture, and crop insurance keeps America growing. March 28, 2023

John McDermott is a recipient of the 2023 Industry Leadership Award for consistently serving the industry and providing outstanding leadership to National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) and the crop insurance industry. The award was presented during the 2023 Crop Insurance Industry Annual Convention in Bonita Springs, Florida. February 23, 2023

Farmers may now be eligible for further protection against damaging tropical storms. After hearing directly from agricultural producers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) Endorsement with a Tropical Storm (TS) option. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) will offer this option for the 2023 crop year. February 14, 2023