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Fordyce: USDA takes steps to help farmers manage tight margins

The USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation says the agency is taking steps to help producers manage financial challenges.

Richard Fordyce tells Brownfield the department recently announced changes to crop insurance to help producers who are facing high input costs and continued market uncertainty.

“This is really probably more of a cash flow relief decision,” he said. “It allows more of that harvest to get completed. And probably in a lot of cases maybe get harvest completely done before that crop insurance premium is due.”

As reported on Brownfield, USDA’s Risk Management Agency is providing producers up to 60 additional days to pay crop insurance premiums and is also reinstating the option for insured producers to purchase an additional 5% prevented planting coverage.

Fordyce says USDA made the changes based on farmer feedback.

“We do hear from producers, and we do hear from trade associations that any flexibilities that we could provide related to any programmatic work we do here at USDA is always appreciated, especially in these current times.”

He says the agency is looking at other ways to improve producers’ bottom line.

“Every day we’re looking at opportunities where we can either deliver programs better or deliver programs faster,” Fordyce said, “and grant flexibilities.”

Fordyce says farmers should contact their local crop insurance agent for guidance on how the latest updates could affect coverage.

Richard Fordyce: