RMA Enhances Crop Insurance for Cherries

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is enhancing crop insurance programs for cherries, which will begin in crop year 2022. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is making changes to the Actual Revenue History (ARH) Sweet Cherry Pilot program and Tart Cherry for Processing Pilot program.

“We like to tell agricultural producers, ‘We listen to you,’” RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy said. “These changes to cherry crop insurance will provide a greater level of coverage, and they’re based on feedback from those producing our nation’s cherries.”

Specific changes include:

• Extending the end of insurance for revenue losses to accommodate producers in Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin who may receive final settlement prices later in the year. This change will extend the end of insurance from January 15 to March 1 to help ensure producers may use their actual price when determining claims.
• Providing more accurate coverage for canner types of processing sweet cherries in Michigan by recognizing it as a distinct processing type that often receives a higher price than briner and other processing types.

The ARH Sweet Cherry Pilot program is available in California, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, and producers purchased 1,764 policies to protect more than $480 million in liabilities in 2020. The ARH Tart Cherry for Processing Pilot program is available in Michigan, New York, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, and producers purchased 187 policies to protect $36 million in liabilities in 2020.