Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Stonefruit Crop Insurance Provisions to allow coverage for plums under the Stonefruit Crop Insurance Provisions and to make other changes to clarify policy provisions. The proposed rule will also remove the Plum Crop Insurance Provisions from the Code of Federal Regulations. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of the producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will apply for the 2011 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation is reopening and extending the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. The proposed rule amends the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Apple Crop Insurance Provisions to provide policy changes, to clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. During the comment period, FCIC received comments that due to the public comment period overlapping with the apple harvest in some areas, sixty days was not adequate to properly review the proposed changes. FCIC agrees additional time is appropriate to ensure all interested persons have time to fully review the proposed rule and provide meaningful comments.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement, the Group Risk Plan of Insurance Regulations, and the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Basic Provisions to revise those provisions as mandated by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). The changes will apply for the 2010 and succeeding crop years for all crops with a 2010 crop year contract change date on or after the effective date of this rule and for the 2011 and succeeding crop years for all crops with a 2010 crop year contract change date prior to the effective date of this rule.

The following paragraph has been added to the beginning of the Summary portion of the April 8, 2009, Federal Register Notice: The Risk Management Agency (RMA) did not receive complete and valid application packages for the State of Vermont under the original Request for Application Notice published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2009, for the Crop Insurance Education in the Targeted States Program (Targeted States Program). RMA is re-announcing its Funding OpportunityRequest for Applications under the Targeted States Program for the State of Vermont. Applicants who previously submitted an application under the April 8, 2009, Targeted States Program Request for Applications Notice for Vermont, must reapply in accordance with the original Notice published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2009. (https://www.rma.usda.gov/aboutrma/agreements). All other portions and sections of the full text notice remain unchanged.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes amendments to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Grape Crop Insurance Provisions and Table Grape Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to fraud, waste, or abuse.

This document contains corrections to the final regulation which was published February 26, 2009. The regulation pertains to the insurance of cabbage.

Due to some errors, the following notice supersedes the original Request for Applications, published on March 27, 2009, for the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program at 74 FR 13395-13403.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $900,000 (subject to availability of funds) for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions (the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program). The purpose of this cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver training and information in the management of production, marketing, and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. A maximum of 90 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than nine in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Awardees must demonstrate non- financial benefits from a cooperative partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programs CFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations Tobacco Crop Provisions. The amended provisions removed the Quota Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, and revised the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, and changed the title of the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions to Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers. The changes will apply for the 2010 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Cabbage Crop Insurance Provisions to convert the cabbage pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program for the 2010 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is amending the General Administrative Regulation, Appeal Procedure. This final rule incorporates a requirement mandated by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) that allows producers to use both mediation and the informal administrative appeal process in their appeals of decisions by FCIC and making minor non-substantive changes for clarity.