By Trish Svoboda

The USDA is increasing crop insurance choices for specialty and organic farmers starting from the 2025 crop year. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) will expand coverage options by introducing enterprise units based on organic farming practices, extending enterprise unit eligibility for various crops, and implementing additional policy updates.

This marks the first of several announcements planned for this summer, which will include enhancements to the shellfish policy in the Northeast and new coverage options for grape growers across the Western regions and beyond. These expansions and updates are part of ongoing efforts by the RMA to enhance support for specialty crop producers and to reach a wider range of agricultural producers.

“The Risk Management Agency is excited to expand coverage options for specialty and organic growers including the availability of enterprise and optional units for many producers,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “Expanding our coverage options gives producers more opportunities to manage their risks. We will continue to build on our work through future announcements later this summer.” 

The RMA is actively exploring methods to enhance risk management tools for specialty crop producers and plans to unveil further program improvements later this summer.

To view the changes that will be made beginning with the 2025 crop year, click here.