The RMA announced this week that it will make double cropping insurance easier to obtain in nearly 1,500 counties for the 2023 crop year.
The coverage improvements apply to soybeans (in at least 680 counties) and grain sorghum (in at least 870 counties). Click here to view maps of the affected counties.
"Double cropping" refers to the practice of planting two different crops on the same land in a single year.
How Has Double Cropping Insurance Availability Changed?
The expansion aims to lighten the administrative burden of double cropping insurance and make it easier to qualify for coverage—for example, by removing production record requirements. Double cropping insurance will also be permanently available in some counties where it was not previously.
Additionally, the process of obtaining a written agreement for double cropping coverage will be streamlined. Written agreements allow producers to purchase personalized coverage where it is not normally available. In counties affected by this expansion, producers will no longer need previous double cropping experience to receive a written agreement. In some counties, written agreements may be available without the need for a significant underwriting review.
Other flexibilities are being considered and may be announced in the future.
These changes are part of the USDA's efforts to support food production and American farmers in the face of continued supply-chain disruptions and other challenges. Further initiatives include improving support for precision agriculture and increasing funds for domestic fertilizer production. Click here for more information.
Where Can I Learn More?
Watch our website for more information as it becomes available.