Crop Insurance Today Third Quarter 2021 - 18

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2022 Train-the-Trainer
Fall Conference Held Virtually
By Alyssa Milliken, NCIS Intern
President Joe Biden and the new administration
have set several priorities for the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the
key three being COVID-19 relief, climate change
initiatives, and addressing racial inequities in agriculture
programs.
In his opening remarks during the virtual
2022 Train-the-Trainer Fall Conference in July,
NCIS president, Tom Zacharias, commented on
the early coordination and cooperation between
the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Approved
Insurance Providers (AIPs) during the
pandemic stating, " ...the work of this group and
the agency since March of 2020 is a testament of
the working relationship between the agency and
the industry. "
Zacharias highlighted that NCIS has conducted
several education and outreach activities
to under-served communities in the agriculture
sector as well as provided industry funded
scholarships to more than two dozen students.
Regarding climate change, Zacharias emphasized
that the primary mission of the crop insurance
industry is to enable farmers and ranchers to recover
from the immediate and destructive effects
of weather and climate related disasters.
Richard Flournoy, the Deputy Administrator
for Product Management at RMA, gave the RMA
briefing and stated in his presentation that, " Crop
insurance has a history of being adaptive and
responsive to innovative practices that farmers
are conducting as well as responding to climate
change and natural disasters. "
A few key points he addressed were the rating
time period to be more reflective of current
trends, alternate wet/dry furrow irrigation of
rice, cover crops, Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind
Index, and the Quality Loss Option.
18 THIRDQUARTER2021
At the end of each day, article author, Alyssa Milliken, would provide answers to questions
submitted by attendees throughout the conference.
Flournoy also spoke about the USDA's Racial
and Justice Equity Working Group. The Working
Group is currently assessing how USDA collects
and uses data, as well as a broader holistic
assessment of equity across USDA programs
More than 500 people participated
in the virtual conference and survey
results showed that the information
presented was what attendees
needed to hear and the presenters
did an excellent job.
and services, procurement, policy, and regulatory
actions, how resources are used in service
of equity and civil rights, and how and where
the Department conducts stakeholder outreach.
Karis Gutter, Leader of North America
Government and Industry Affairs for Corteva
Agriscience was the special guest speaker
for the conference. Prior to working for Corteva,
Gutter spent time serving as the USDA's
Deputy Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign
Agricultural Service, the USDA's Military Veteran's
Agricultural Liaison, as well as a stint as
Deputy Administrator at USDA's Farm Service
Agency. In his presentation he addressed diversity
issues.
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Crop Insurance Today Third Quarter 2021

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