Federal Crop Insurance Corporation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a public comment period on the information collection requests (ICRs) associated with the Multiple Peril Crop Insurance.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes amendments to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Northern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Quality Endorsement, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Processing Quality Endorsement, Potato Crop Insurance Certified Seed Endorsement, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Storage Coverage Endorsement, and the Central and Southern Potato 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 the insureds, and to reduce vulnerability to fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will apply for the 2008 and succeeding crop years for the Northern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Quality Endorsement, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Processing Quality Endorsement, Potato Crop Insurance Certified Seed Endorsement, and the Northern Potato Crop Insurance Storage Coverage Endorsement. The Central and Southern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions changes will apply for the 2009 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Millet Crop Insurance Provisions to remove the reduction in indemnity for any unharvested millet acreage to better meet the needs of insured producers.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is publishing amendments to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as a final rule. USDA amends its regulations to reflect the legal termination of the Agriculture Board of Contract Appeals (AGBCA) and the creation of a new consolidated Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA). Additionally, with respect to appeals heard by the AGBCA other than Contract Disputes Act appeals, the AGBCA transfers or eliminates certain appeal procedures as a result of the termination of the AGBCA. USDA eliminates the appeals of procurement suspension and debarment, as well as the appeals of export violation debarment determinations under the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act (16 U.S.C. 620 et seq.), and transfers jurisdiction to hear Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) and Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards appeals to the new consolidated CBCA.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to add to 7 CFR part 457 a new 457.170 that provides insurance for cultivated wild rice. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, which contain standard terms and conditions common to most crops. The intended effect of this action is to convert the cultivated wild rice pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program for the 2009 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations by removing the Quota Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, revising the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, and changing the title of the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions to Contracted 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 2008 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend 7 CFR part 400, subpart R to clarify existing administrative remedies, add additional administrative remedies that are available as a result of enactment of section 515(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act) (7 U.S.C. 1515(h)), and make such other changes as are necessary to implement the provisions of section 515(h) of the Act.

Due to an error in the Application Deadline (Section IV Application and Submission Information, C. Submission Dates and Times), the following notice supersedes the original Request for Applications, published on March 7, 2007 for Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program at 72 FR 10121-10128. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 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 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five 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 programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), 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), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 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 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five 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 programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), 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), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $4.5 million to fund cooperative agreements under the Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States program (the Targeted States Program). The purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and information to U.S. agricultural producers in certain States that have been designated as historically underserved with respect to crop insurance. The states, collectively referred to as Targeted States, are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. A maximum of 15 cooperative agreements will be funded, one in each of the 15 Targeted States. Awardees of awards 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 programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships) CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.459 (Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

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 for and revision to a currently approved information collection for Notice of Funds Availability Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Nursery Crop Insurance Provisions by amending the definition of ``liners.'' FCIC also finalizes the Nursery Peak Inventory Endorsement to clarify that the peak amount of insurance is limited to 200 percent of the amount of insurance established under the Nursery Crop Insurance Provisions. The amendments will be applicable to the 2008 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to add to 7 CFR part 457 a new Sec. 457.171 that provides insurance for cabbage. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, which contain standard terms and conditions common to most crops. The intended effect of this action is to convert the cabbage pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program for the 2009 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is reopening and extending the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Friday, July 14, 2006 (71 FR 40194-40252). The proposed rule contains certain provisions to combine and provide revenue protection and yield protection within one standard crop insurance policy, and to improve prevented planting and other provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers. During the comment period, FCIC received comments that due to the complexity of the proposed changes, sixty days was not adequate to properly address all the issues. FCIC agrees that additional time is appropriate to ensure that all interested persons have time to fully review the proposed rule and provide meaningful comments.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Nursery Crop Insurance Provisions by amending the definition of ``liners.'' FCIC also proposes to amend the Nursery Peak Inventory Endorsement to clarify that the peak amount of insurance is limited to 200% of the amount of insurance established under the Nursery Crop Insurance Provisions. The proposed changes will be effective for the 2008 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend its Fresh Market Sweet Corn Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes to allow for the expansion of fresh market sweet corn coverage into areas where the crop is produced and when provided in the actuarial documents, and allow coverage for fresh market sweet corn when it is marketed through direct marketing. This change will be applicable for the 2008 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Basic Provisions, Small Grains Crop Insurance Provisions, Cotton 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. FCIC also proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Basic Provisions to incorporate changes resulting from input and recommendations by the prevented planting work group. The amended provisions will replace the Crop Revenue Coverage (CRC), Income Protection (IP), Indexed Income Protection (IIP), and the Revenue Assurance (RA) plans of insurance. 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. The changes will apply for the 2009 and succeeding crop years.

Due to technical errors, the following notice supersedes the original Request for Applications, published on April 18, 2006 for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions Program at 71 FR 19858-19864. Overview: The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 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 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Recipients of awards 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 programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program. This Announcement Consists of Eight Parts:

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 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 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Recipients of awards 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 programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program. This announcement consists of eight parts:

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is extending the comment period for the proposed rule that was published in the Federal Register on Monday, February 6, 2006 (71 FR 6016-6021). The proposed rule was to amend 7 CFR part 457 to add to a new Sec. 457.169 that provides insurance for mint. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, which contain standard terms and conditions common to most crops. This action will correct the electronic mail address, and allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.