(NDAgConnection.com) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) is adding flexibility to the Sugar Beet Crop Provisions with new options for the 2023 and succeeding crop years. These new options are effective in most states as of Nov. 28 and published in the Federal Register.

“In response to feedback from the American Sugar Beet Growers Association (ASGA), with the issuance of a final rule RMA is making changes to the Sugar Beet Crop Provisions for the 2023 crop year,” said Saint Paul Regional Office Director, Pamela Stahlke. “These changes will give sugar beet producers better options for determining their preferred level of crop insurance coverage and help manage the cost of insurance.”

The new options give farmers the opportunity to include stage guarantees in their policy if they prefer lower coverage for a reduced premium or incorporate a stage guarantee removal option in their policy if they wish to maintain or increase their coverage from last year.

These changes for sugar beets will impact producers in California (except in Imperial County where the changes will be effective for the 2024 crop year), Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

Producers should ask their crop insurance agent for further details on the new options.

Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available online using the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can use the RMA Cost Estimator to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online.