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USDA Crop Disaster Assistance Programs for Underserved Producers of Specialty Crops: A Massachusetts Perspective

Thomas Smiarowski and Paul Russell

Summary

Attendees will be provided with an overview of existing USDA Programs available for historically undeserved specialty crop producers that provide protection in the event of adverse weather conditions. Primary focus of the presentation will be examining Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) administered by the USDA-FSA. These two programs are the primary programs available to specialty crop producers to manage adverse weather conditions on their farming operations.

The presentation will provide attendees with an understanding of:

1) What works well with Federal Crop Insurance and NAP.
2) Obstacles currently faced by specialty crop producers when utilizing Federal Crop Insurance and/or NAP.
3) Improvements that could be made to increase the effectiveness of Federal Crop Insurance and NAP to make both programs a more viable risk management tool for producers who historically have been underserved by both programs.

Paul Russell and Tom Smiarowski each have over 40 years of experience in these programs. Both have been Crop Insurance/Risk Management Educators with UMass Extension for the past 6 years funded by a USDA-RMA Targeted States Grant and prior to their work with UMass Extension, were employed by the USDA - Farm Service Agency each for over 34 years. During their time with USDA-FSA they were also authorized to sell Federal Crop Insurance due to a lack of available agents in Massachusetts that were licensed to sell Federal Crop Insurance. Their background and experience will provide attendees with a unique perspective of Federal Crop Insurance and NAP.

Details

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