This spring’s constantly changing weather in Pennsylvania has resulted in lower forage yields than many producers were planning. Perhaps this has them rethinking their decision to not get forage crop insurance. Insuring forage crops is a relatively new program and is going through some changes until the kinks are worked out of it.
The USDA-RMA (Risk Management Agency) is currently working on changes for 2016. First, it looks like the RMA forage insurance program will be headed towards creating an Actual Revenue History policy where producers will need to have historical documentation of forage yield and quality. So if someone is considering forage insurance at some point in the future, encourage them to keep their historical forage yield and quality information or else start collecting it NOW!
Second, did you know that Pennsylvania is only one of 19 states to offer a Forage Seeding insurance program (see map below)? Plans are being considered to expand the program for 2016 but for now, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia are all alone in the Eastern United States.
Source:psu.edu