Soybean field with dark clouds overhead and blue sky in the distanceThe Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) has updated several crop insurance policies beginning with the August 31, 2026, contract change date. The updates are effective beginning with the 2027 crop year, except for Actual Revenue History (ARH) changes applicable to crops insured under the ARH Citrus Crop Provisions and the Arizona-California Citrus Crop Provisions, which are effective beginning with the 2028 crop year.

Key updates include:

  • Removing potential conflicts with the Removal of Regulatory Overreach and Federal Crop Insurance Policy Provisions final rule (91 FR 16151).
  • Moving termination, cancellation, and end of insurance dates to the Special Provisions.
  • Allowing enterprise and optional units by organic farming practice for Cranberry and Stonefruit.
  • Updating the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) Pilot Policy definitions for consistency with other Basic Provisions and revising hemp provisions to remove references to “industrial” and “delta-9.”

For complete details regarding these policy changes, refer to PM-26-047 – Crop Insurance Policy Changes Effective for the 2027 and Succeeding Crop Years.

Grapevine Crop Insurance Program Updates for 2027

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors approved updates to the Grapevine crop insurance program on August 20, 2026, under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act.

The following changes are effective for the 2027 and succeeding crop years:

  • Added and updated definitions to provide additional clarification.
  • Revised the stage definition to establish separate time periods for vines grafted in the field.
  • Added vine reporting requirements for transplanted vines and vines grafted in the field.
  • Added earthquake as an insured cause of loss.

For complete details regarding these policy changes, refer to PM-26-048.

Rainfall Index Program Updates for 2027 and Succeeding Crop Years

On August 20, 2026, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors approved modifications to the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) Crop Provisions and PRF Hawaii Crop Provisions, effective beginning with the 2027 crop year.

Key PRF changes include:

  • Requiring producers with an intended use of grazing to have an insurable interest in enough livestock to equal at least 25 percent of the average stocking rate for the insured acres.
  • Clarifying that stocking rate records must be maintained for three years after the end of the crop year.
  • Limiting the percent of value for the January-February interval to 25 percent.
  • Clarifying that acreage is not insurable when the applicable land management agency has not issued crop year authorization allowing its use or has assigned zero use acres.

Additional Apiculture updates clarify that insurable colonies are not limited to the number of active colonies on the colony reporting date.

Updates to the Rainfall Index (RI) Plan Common Policy, Basic Provisions include automatic permission for spouses to sign, replacing references to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) with the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), and adding definitions and strengthened penalties related to prohibited premium adjustments and premium funding agreements.

The RI Insurance Standards Handbook was also revised to:

  • Clarify requirements regarding insurable Apiculture colonies.
  • Add a PRF certification regarding the producer’s knowledge of livestock and stocking rate requirements for grazing acres.
  • Add guidance addressing stocking rates and required supporting documentation.

These revisions are effective beginning with the 2027 crop year, except changes to the RI Plan Common Policy, Basic Provisions for crops insured under the Annual Forage Crop Provisions, which are effective beginning with the 2028 crop year.

Reference PM-26-053 for complete details regarding these changes.