USDA Rolls Out Measure To Address Economic, Production Challenges

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced several new USDA initiatives last week, aimed at helping farmers manage ongoing economic and production challenges.  The actions include plans to modernize USDA data systems, provide additional flexibility for crop insurance premium payments, and expand prevented planting coverage.

“When I travel across farm country, I hear the same message over and over: producers want a USDA that works for them," Rollins noted this week.  "The Trump USDA is focused on making changes that improve the livelihood of our great farmers. I am pleased to announce three critical initiatives to support farmers and U.S. agriculture broadly.  We’re modernizing how USDA serves farmers, providing commonsense flexibility when it’s needed most, and strengthening the risk management tools producers depend on. We will continue listening, acting, and putting Farmers First because that’s exactly what President Trump has directed us to do.”

Photo: USDA

Initiative Details

Last month, Secretary Rollins announced that USDA is working on a Data Modernization Plan across multiple agencies that will be released later this year. The Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area, under the leadership of Under Secretary Scott Hutchins, will coordinate the effort across USDA.

This week, as the next step in this process, Rollins announced a series of listening sessions that USDA leadership will host across the country to hear directly from producers as this plan continues to take shape.  These listening sessions, she noted, are an important step in putting Farmers First, restoring producer confidence in USDA data as the gold standard, and increasing survey response rates.  These listening sessions, none of which take place in the Northwest, look to build off the Request for Information published earlier this year where USDA sought public comment on data collection, analysis, and reporting.  Locations where listening sessions will be held include:

• Indiana State Fair
• Wisconsin State Fair
• Penn State Ag Progress Days
• Illinois State Fair
• Dakotafest
• Missouri State Fair
• Iowa State Fair
• Nebraska State Fair
• Farm Progress Show

For additional information and details about a specific listening session, E-mail USDA.

Photo: USDA

Payment Changes On The Horizon

This week Rollins also announced the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) is authorizing Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to provide producers with up to 60 additional days to pay crop insurance premiums, administrative fees, and amounts due under Written Payment Agreements with scheduled premium billing dates between July 1st-September 30th, 2026.  During this extended period, AIPs may waive interest charges. Interest will begin accruing for unpaid premium and administrative fees only after the end of the additional 60-day period or upon reaching the policy’s termination date, whichever occurs first.

Additionally, RMA is reinstating the option for insured producers to purchase an additional 5% prevented planting coverage beginning with crops associated with the August 31st, filing date for the 2027 and succeeding crop years.  This added coverage enhances producers’ ability to manage risk in situations where extreme weather or other conditions prevent normal planting.

These actions, the Department said, underscore RMA’s commitment to supporting farmers and ranchers by providing needed flexibility and strengthening coverage options during a challenging period for American agriculture.  AIPs will notify affected policyholders directly regarding these relief measures.  Producers should contact their local crop insurance agent or visit the RMA website for guidance on how these updates may affect coverage options.

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