The USDA “Expanding Access to Risk Protection” Final Rule Updates Crop Insurance Provisions
The USDA’s Federal Crop Insurance Corp. (FCIC) has issued a new rule in the Federal Register titled “Expanding Access to Risk Protection.” It updates multiple crop-insurance provisions beginning with the 2026 crop year. The package largely focuses on expanding access, simplifying administration and improving support for producers, particularly beginning farmers.
A major change extends the beginning-farmer premium benefits by redefining eligible producers as having 10 or fewer crop years, rather than 5. These farmers will receive enhanced premium subsidies that phase down over their first four years and continue with a 10% subsidy through year 10.
Another significant change applies to the prevented planting provisions in crop insurance. The buy-up prevented-planting coverage option for growers in regions where wet springs commonly raise the risk of prevented planting has been removed. Additionally, the rule removes the “insured” requirement from the “1 in 4” rule for prevented planting payments, significantly reducing administrative burden on producers, agents and insurance providers. Producers will still be required to prove the land was available for planting by showing it was planted and harvested (or adjusted for an insurable cause of loss) in one of the four previous crop years.
Other improvements include streamlined policy transfers between insurance companies—eliminating production-reporting requirements when no claim is filed—and clearer price-setting rules for Area Risk Protection Insurance. The rule also clarifies coverage details for several crops.
The EARP Final Rule package includes several rule changes, including modifications for cotton, sugar beets, safflower, fresh market tomatoes, peas, peppers, canola and rapeseed and forage seeding. Farmers should check with their approved insurance provider or insurance agents to clarify how policy changes could affect their premiums and potential indemnities.
Public comments on the rule will be accepted through Jan. 27, 2026.
Read more about the EARP Final Rule Changes for 2026 here.
Additional Resources:
https://www.rma.usda.gov/policy-procedure/bulletins-memos/product-management-bulletin/pm-25-072-expanding-access-risk
https://www.rma.usda.gov/about-crop-insurance/frequently-asked-questions/prevented-planting-coverage