The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said today that it will expand crop insurance to provide additional options for fruit and nut producers.



Beginning with the 2016 crop, the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion will cover fresh fruit and nuts in select counties.



SCO currently covers corn, cotton, cottonseed, grain sorghum, soybeans, rice, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat. Beginning with the 2016 crop year, it also will cover almonds, apples, blueberries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, prunes, safflower, tomatoes and walnuts, in addition to alfalfa seed, canola, cultivated wild rice, dry peas, forage production, grass seed, mint, oats, onions, and rye.



Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins/tangerines, oranges and tangelos also will be eligible for coverage beginning with the 2017 crop year.



"USDA remains committed to making new crop insurance options outlined in the 2014 Farm Bill available to as many types of producers as possible," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "Providing these options for our producers of fresh fruit and nuts gives them the stronger safety net they need to continue farming, even after particularly bad years."



APH Yield Exclusion for the 2016 crop year will be available to growers of apples, blueberries, grapes, peaches, potatoes, prunes, safflower, tomatoes and walnuts, in addition to alfalfa seed, cultivated wild rice, dry peas, forage production, oats, onions, rye and winter wheat. The option will expand to include producers of grapefruit, lemons, mandarins/tangerines, oranges and tangelos for the 2017 crop year.







