Forage Crop Insurance Still Evolving

Jun 10, 2015

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

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.