The USDA’s Risk Management Agency is ensuring that milk producers are not inappropriately penalized if their milk must be dumped because of recent market disruptions caused by COVID-19.
The RMA is also extending inspection deadlines, waiving inspection requirements, and authorizing more crop insurance transactions over the phone and electronically to help producers during the current crisis.
Many state and local governments have issued “stay-at-home” orders and shut down non-essential businesses in response to COVID-19.
It’s resulted in market disruptions and prevented in-person crop insurance transactions.
RMA says it will allow dumped milk to be counted as milk marketings for the Dairy Revenue Protection or actual marketings for the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy programs.
The agency will also allow phone and electronic transactions for 2021 crop year sales and reporting dates, including options and endorsements.
The deadline for some perennial crop Pre-Acceptance Inspection Reports has been extended.
“Dairy Revenue Protection is a vital risk-management tool for our dairy farmers, especially during times like these, and USDA wants to ensure producers continue to get the coverage they purchased,” says RMA Administrator Martin Barbre.
