The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency is hosting two workshops—scheduled for Monday, June 13 (Oxnard, Calif.) and Tuesday, June 14 (Santa Maria, Calif.)—to provide an overview of the strawberry crop insurance program. Growers are invited to participate in discussions regarding the extension and further development of the Strawberry Crop Insurance Program, as well as the potential development of a special endorsement to the policy. USDA will also be discussing how the insurance program can work for growers, the program requirements, purchase date, and how crop insurance can be purchased.  Strawberry growers and encouraged to attend and offer their input to the USDA, Risk Management Agency (RMA) presentation.

The strawberry crop insurance program is currently available in the following counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The program is based on the grower’s own revenue history and protects growers against losses from low yield, low price or a combination of both. The insurance is federally subsidized to help lower the cost for growers.

The program was developed in 2012 and was further reviewed by the USDA in 2015. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation enhanced and extended the program for two years. Since the beginning, the insurance team at Western Growers has played an integral role in helping USDA tailor the program to growers’ needs.

“For years, the California Strawberry Commission and Western Growers have collaborated with and facilitated the conversation between USDA and strawberry growers to help develop a product that meets the needs of farmers not only in California but throughout the nation,” said Matt McInerney, Senior Executive Vice President of Western Growers.

To learn more about Western Growers’ role in the development of the program, visit: PRESS RELEASE: Western Growers Partners with USDA to Enhance Strawberry Crop Insurance Program.

Oxnard Grower Outreach Meeting
Monday, June 13, 2016
8:00am -10:00am (breakfast served)
Courtyard by Marriot
600 E. Esplanade Dr.
Oxnard, CA 93036

Santa Maria Grower Outreach Meeting
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
9:00am-11:00am
Ag. Commissioner’s Office
624 W. Foster Rd.
Santa Maria, CA 93455

Please RSVP to Therese Galvan at [email protected] or (949) 885-2270. For more information about the program, contact Gretchen Rooney-Adan at [email protected] or (530) 305-7800.