Featured News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options to additional crops as well as increasing premium support to make the policy more affordable for producers. July 30, 2024

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023. July 23, 2024

On March 11, President Joe Biden released a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget that fully funds the Federal crop insurance program. The budget states that the “administration supports improvements to crop insurance, proactively managing risk from natural hazards, including the permanent authorization of the cover crop incentive program.” March 15, 2024

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding crop insurance tailored for nursery producers to all counties in all states. Nursery Value Select (NVS) is a pilot program that enables nursery producers to select the dollar amount of coverage that best fits their risk management needs. Its expansion is part of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) efforts to provide insurance options for a broader group of producers, including specialty crop producers. March 08, 2024

Update: March 8, 2024 | The Senate passed a $467.5 billion spending package on Friday, March 8, 2024. The bipartisan bill will fund the agriculture, transportation, housing, energy, veterans, and additional programs through September 30, 2024. NAU Country will continue to keep you informed as we learn more about the situation. November 22, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to add crop insurance options for specialty crop and organic producers, including rolling out new and expanded options based on feedback from America’s agricultural producers. To achieve this, the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is hosting in-person and virtual roadshows and making investments in risk management education. These improvements are meant to improve risk management tools for producers and organic markets. October 17, 2023

With just a few hours to spare, Congress approved a 45-day spending bill to keep the government open while budget negotiations continue. October 02, 2023

In the case of a government shutdown, NAU Country wants to reassure you of our commitment to our agents and policyholders. September 27, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is expanding crop insurance options with a new Grapevine insurance program, which will provide coverage for loss of grafted vines caused by natural perils such as freeze or fire. The new program also will complement the Grape crop insurance program that covers the fruit growing on the vine. August 31, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is improving crop insurance options for small and diversified farmers through improvements to the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WRFP) and Micro Farm insurance plans. These updates are part of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) efforts to increase participation and access to crop insurance. August 31, 2023