USDA Announces Improvements to Crop Insurance for Cherries

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced improvements to the Actual Revenue History (ARH) Sweet Cherry and ARH Tart Cherry for Processing crop insurance programs for the 2025 and succeeding crop years. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is allowing additional time for producers to meet the minimum production amount, changing it to one in five years, from one in three years.

“Cherry producers have experienced many unavoidable production setbacks in the last few years that have made meeting the minimum production requirement difficult,” said Eric Bashore, Director of RMA’s Billings Regional Office that covers Montana. “The Risk Management Agency is proud to work with our cherry producers to continue to improve coverage options so producers can continue to effectively manage risk on their operation.”

In addition to giving producers more time to meet minimum production requirements, RMA is also allowing producers to request a Regional Office Determined Yield (DY) for any acreage that does not meet the minimum production requirement. Producers can contact their crop insurance agent for more information as determined yield requirements vary by region. 

As part of a larger initiative to expand coverage options for perennial and specialty crop producers, RMA will expand Enterprise Units (EU) and EUs by organic farming practice (EO) to Sweet and Tart Cherry producers beginning with the 2025 crop year.

The ARH Sweet Cherry pilot program was established in 2009 and is now available in California, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The ARH Tart Cherry for Processing pilot program was established in 2014 and is now available in Michigan, New York, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The sales closing date is November 20, 2024, for the 2025 crop year in all states except California where the sales closing date is January 31, 2025, for the 2025 crop year

RMA collaborated with stakeholders to improve these programs. In crop year 2024, producers insured $634 million in covered liabilities on 96,000 acres of cherries.