Crop Insurance Today Third Quarter 2022 - 14

C r o p I n s u r a n c e
today
By Lynnette Dillon, NCIS
" Seems like a dream; it was so long ago, the
moon burned so bright, and the time went so
slow... " In his opening remarks during the 2023
Fall Train-the-Trainer Conference in July, NCIS
President, Tom Zacharias, quoted lyrics from
the old Eagles tune referencing that it had been
two years since our last face-to-face conference.
He complimented the industry " ...the work all
of you and your companies do to make crop insurance
as successful as it is. " Zacharias remarked
that approximately 87 percent of field crop acres
have some form of federal crop insurance coverage.
Just under 90 percent of insured acres have
coverage levels at or greater than 70 percent and
overall crop premium is up about 18 percent
when comparing the past two years. Livestock
premiums increased from $572 million a year
ago to $878 million this year. His closing remarks
emphasized the importance of maintaining and
strengthening crop insurance in the upcoming
2023 Farm Bill. Zacharias concluded his remarks
by saying, " ...we live in a world filled with uncertainty
and a much more acute focus on Agriculture.
We have much to be thankful for and much
is expected of us. "
The 2023 Fall Train-the-Trainer Conference
signaled the welcome return of exchanging ideas
and seeing friends and colleagues in person. The
hybrid format also allowed over 300 attendees
to join virtually. National conference attendance
over the past two years has more than doubled,
and the hybrid arrangement accommodates
those who do not wish to travel while allowing
them to be part of the update training.
This conference is designed for Approved Insurance
Provider (AIP) training personnel, staff
underwriters, and marketing representatives,
with the overall objective to provide training on
procedure and policy changes. Training materials
from the conference are available to participants
14 THIRDQUARTER2022
who use the information to prepare and conduct
employee and agent training.
The administration has prioritized COVID-19
relief, climate change initiatives, and addressing
racial inequities in agriculture programs. Our
special guest speaker, Ron Rainey, Assistant
Vice President and Professor at the University
of Arkansas Research & Extension, was recently
appointed to the newly formed USDA Equity
Commission. In this new role, he will continue
outreach to ensure USDA upholds its commitment
to civil rights and advancing racial justice
and equity. Rainey addressed U.S. agriculture
policy related to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
and gave an in-depth look at where we have
been, where we are currently, and what needs to
be accomplished.
Farm bill initiatives such as the 1990 Farm Bill
recognized American Indians, Alaskan Natives,
Asians, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Refugees,
Immigrants, and African Americans as a " socially
disadvantaged " group. Veterans were added to
the definition in 2014.
Current administrative actions have recognized
the need to support underserved communities
and advance racial equity. The American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021, specifically Section
1006, provides funding for USDA to address
historical discrimination and disparities. Ron
Rainey, in his closing, stressed the need to build
relationships with SDFR underserved by Federal
crop insurance and identify and invest in diverse
farm communities. In summation, his presentation
" Evolution of U.S. Agriculture " addressed
historical difficulties and barriers and gave participants
insight into the ongoing challenges that
still need to be addressed and overcome.
RMA leaders, Marcia Bunger, Administrator;
Richard Flournoy, Deputy Administrator
for Product Management; Delores Dean, Deputy
Administrator for Insurance Services; and Michael
Heiserman, Director of Risk Management
Education Division, presented to the group virtually
following Rainey's remarks. Flournoy conveyed,
" ...training is one of the most important
things we can do as an agency, " and pointed out
that RMA can make changes throughout the process.
He also discussed RMA initiatives, such as
hurricane insurance, hemp, multi-county enterprise
units, nursery value select, and the agency's
response to COVID-19 with new procedures,
emphasizing the diversity in products to address
the needs of farmers and ranchers.
Delores Dean introduced the newly released
Double Cropping Expansion. The initiative is a
follow-up to President Biden's and Secretary Vilsack's
announcement in May regarding increasing
production due to the war in Ukraine. At this
VisitWebsite
ag-risk.org
Conference Provides
Important Program Updates
http://ag-risk.org
Crop Insurance Today Third Quarter 2022

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