Insurance options for fruit growers bulletin now available

Jonathan LaPorte<laportej@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

A new bulletin from MSU Extension explores the basics of crop insurance available to fruit producers and presents how its use can benefit your farm.

Apple trees torn down from heavy winds.
Crop insurance was created as a cost-effective means to aid farmers in managing or reducing the impact of weather-related risks. Photo by Amy Irish-Brown, MSU Extension.

As a decision-maker on a farm, you will need to manage many risks. Production risk brought on by weather is one of the most challenging risks to manage. It can not only significantly damage potential yields but also affect markets and revenues.

Crop insurance was created as a cost-effective means to aid farmers in managing or reducing the impact of these risks. Insurance policies are provided through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). These policies are based on crop history of individual producers or an entire area, generally a county. They provide protection against yield losses due to natural causes such as drought, excessive moisture, hail, wind, frost, insects, disease, and, in some cases, market volatility.

Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-3426: Insurance Options for Fruit Growers explores the basics of crop insurance available to fruit producers and presents how its use can benefit your farm. This review of benefits includes understanding the differences between insurance policies, learning how each provides protection, and examining the advantages they offer. The bulletin also looks at how USDA RMA provides beginning farmers with additional benefits to assist in managing risks.

Download the latest bulletin in the Beginning Farmers DEMaND (Developing and Educating Managers and New Decision-makers) series today to begin learning how to manage weather-related risks on your farm.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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