Oct 14, 2019

Crop insurance deadlines near in Florida

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (USDA RMA) are reminding Florida avocado, blueberry, pasture, rangeland, and forage (PRF) and apiculture producers that deadlines to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2020 crop year are quickly approaching. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the sales closing dates to do so.

Deadlines to apply for insurance and make changes to existing coverage are as follows:

• Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) and Apiculture – Nov. 15.
• Blueberry –Nov. 20.
• Avocado Fruit: Nov. 30.

“The risk of crop damage in Florida is of increasing concern, due in part to extreme weather and intensifying storms,” said Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried. “We encourage producers to stay informed, check their current coverage status, and apply for new crop insurance before the deadlines to ensure that their livelihoods aren’t jeopardized by unpredictable disasters.”

Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and strengthens the rural economy. Coverage is available for avocado in Miami-Dade County. Coverage is also available for blueberries in Alachua, Citrus, De Soto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, and Sumter counties. Coverage is available for PRF and apiculture programs in all Florida counties.

Growers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2020 crop year. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Growers can use the RMA Cost Estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online.

For more information about crop insurance, contact Ronnie Price with USDA at [email protected], or visit www.rma.usda.gov.

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