The Risk Management Agency (RMA) revised the Rainfall Index (RI) Plan Common Policy, Basic Provisions, and the Annual Forage (AF) Crop Provisions for the 2027 and succeeding crop years for all crops with a contract change date on or after April 30, 2026. Updates to the AF Crop Provisions clarify that lease or lease certification forms and documents must be provided if requested during an official review or audit, but do not have to be signed and submitted on or before the acreage reporting date.

Changes to the RI Basic Provisions include adding definitions of “cancellation,” “FAA,” and “termination”; clarifying the definition of “cancelation date” to add voidance as a reason a policy would not automatically continue for a subsequent year; revising the definition of “beginning farmer or rancher” to match wording in the Common Crop Insurance Policy, Basic Provisions; and aligning dispute resolution provisions with Removal of Regulatory Overreach and Federal Crop Insurance Policy Provisions, including correcting the deadline for filing for judicial review to align with the Federal Arbitration Act.

The RI Handbook was also updated to add procedures for Annual Forage, stating that lease or lease certification forms and documents must be provided if requested during an official review or audit, but do not have to be signed and submitted on or before the acreage reporting date.

To access the bulletin in full, please click the following link: https://www.rma.usda.gov/policy-procedure/bulletins-memos/product-management-bulletin/pm-26-021-rainfall-index-annual-forage