Farm Insurance Plan Is Topic of Potato Conference Seminar
Farm producers throughout the Pacific Northwest are becoming more familiar with a new risk management tool that insures a farm’s revenue fluctuations. A federally underwritten insurance plan called Adjusted Gross Revenue Lite (AGR-Lite) covers most farm-raised crops, animals and animal products and is available for growers throughout the Pacific Northwest.
AGR-Lite will be the topic of a special grower education seminar at the 45th Annual Potato Conference and Trade Show in Moses Lake, February 7-9, 2006. Dave Bearden, Deputy Director of the USDA/Risk Management Agency’s Spokane Regional Office, and Jon Burcham, Risk Management Specialist, will present a session for growers on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Hardin Room of Big Bend Community College’s ATEC Building across from the Conference Center.
“Crop insurance and other risk management tools are important for all growers to consider,” says Dave Paul, Director of the Spokane Regional Office. “Those with current Multiple Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) crop policies may want to consider including AGR-Lite as an umbrella protection plan over selected individual crop coverage.”
The seminar will cover the structure and benefits of the program with specific examples and the annual calendar. Bearden and Burcham will also be available for questions from growers. The seminar is available as part of the $5 admission fee for the Conference and Trade Show. AGR-Lite education, as well as the cost of the Conference keynote speaker, Dr. Lowell Catlett, is made possible through a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency.
AGR-Lite was initially developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The Western Center for Risk Management Education at Washington State University worked to gain approval to expand the program to Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington for the 2005 crop year. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents.
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