Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to remove all references to the Daily Spot Cotton Quotation and replace the reference with the National Average Loan Rate published by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), to incorporate a current Special Provisions statement into the Crop Provisions, and to make the Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions. 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 2012 and succeeding crop years.

This document is a correcting amendment to make corrections relating to the insurance of cotton and macadamia nuts that published March 30, 2010.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes amendments to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Stonefruit Crop Insurance Provisions, and removes the Plum Crop Insurance Provisions from the Code of Federal Regulations. The intended effect of this action is to allow coverage for plums under the Stonefruit Crop Insurance Provisions; provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of the producers; and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse to the Federal crop Insurance Program. The changes will be effective for the 2011 and succeeding crop years.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) this notice announces the Risk Management Agency's intention to request an extension to a currently approved information collection for the submission of policies, provisions of policies and rates of premium under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Basic Provisions, Small Grains Crop Insurance Provisions, Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions, Sunflower Seed Crop Insurance Provisions, Coarse Grains Crop Insurance Provisions, Malting Barley Crop Insurance Provisions, Rice Crop Insurance Provisions, and Canola and Rapeseed Crop Insurance Provisions to provide revenue protection and yield protection. The amended provisions replace the Crop Revenue Coverage (CRC), Income Protection (IP), Indexed Income Protection (IIP), and the Revenue Assurance (RA) plans of insurance. These individual plans of insurance will no longer be available. The intended effect of this action is to offer producers a choice of revenue protection (protection against loss of revenue caused by low prices, low yields or a combination of both) or yield protection (protection for production losses only) within one Basic Provisions and the applicable Crop Provisions to reduce the amount of information producers must read to determine the best risk management tool for their operation and to improve the prevented planting and other provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers. In addition, FCIC has revised the Texas Citrus Tree Crop Insurance Provisions, Pear Crop Insurance Provisions, Sugarcane Crop Insurance Provisions, Macadamia Tree Crop Insurance Provisions, Macadamia Nut Crop Insurance Provisions, Onion Crop Insurance Provisions, Dry Pea Crop Insurance Provisions, Plum Crop Insurance Provisions, and Cabbage Crop Insurance Provisions to correct specific references to the revised Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Basic Provisions. Further, FCIC has revised certain provisions to incorporate provisions from previous rules implementing the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill).

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $1.1 million (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 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 110 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with a minimum of ten 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.