Federal Crop Insurance — coverage for farmers that is overseen and subsidized by the federal government
and marketed and serviced by private insurers and agents. Federal crop
insurance offers an array of insurance policies that cover loss of crop value
arising from extremely hot weather, drought, excessive moisture, flood,
wildlife damage, earthquake, insects, and disease. These policies protect a
farmer against production or revenue losses when a particular insured crop does
not meet a preset production guarantee. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees the federal crop insurance program. RMA
provides policies for more than 100 crops, the majority of U.S. crops, although
coverage may not be available for some crops in some areas. Federal crop
insurance is also referred to as multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI).