Rainfall Index – Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) Changes

RMA recently revised the Rainfall Index (RI) Common Policy and the Pasture, Rangeland Forage (PRF) Crop Provisions. The following changes are effective for the 2023 and succeeding crop years:

• Certified organic and transitional organic irrigated hay practices were added to PRF
• Several definitions were revised and/or added to match the definitions in the Common Crop Insurance Policy (CCIP) Basic Provisions
• The definitions for “expected grid index,” “final grid index,” and “index interval” were clarified to state the index intervals are based on a 24-hour period determined by the date
• Language was added to allow corrections to an insurance application with missing social security numbers or employer identification numbers of a person with a substantial beneficial interest to match CCIP Basic Provisions
• The 30-day appeal deadline for good farming practice determinations has been included
• Consequences for not providing acceptable records for policies with the intended use of haying or grazing have been clarified
• How livestock records must be maintained has been clarified

To access the full bulletin that outlines all of the above changes, please click on the following hyperlink: https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Policy-and-Procedure/Bulletins-and-Memos/2022/PM-22-050

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