USDA Addresses Questions About Crop Insurance

Growers have several questions related to crop insurance and how it fits in to the aspects of addressing issues of climate and climate-smart agriculture.

"Crop insurance loss experience over time," noted USDA Risk Management Chief Actuary, Thomas Worth. "How is climate change impacting risk, or our crop insurance rates accounting for that risk?]

The answer he noted is a complex one. With no one factor driving crop insurance losses. While Worth feels climate change is increasing risk, "[and] at the same time, farmers are not sitting still. There's improvements in agronomics and technology that's decreasing risk"

There also has been improvements in risk reduction through how the crop insurance program has been administered over time.

"Improvements have been made to the policy terms and language or improvements in the accuracy of how coverage is established for farmers, or compliance enforcement, or data mining to help RMA better focus resources," Worth said.

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