USDA Announces Data, Payment, and Crop Insurance Changes

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced several new initiatives on August 4 at Minnesota Farmfest aimed at providing farmers with greater flexibility and additional risk management options.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) changes include producer listening sessions tied to a planned data modernization effort, additional time to pay certain crop insurance costs, and the reinstatement of an option for additional prevented planting coverage.

“When I travel across farm country, I hear the same message over and over: producers want a USDA that works for them. The Trump USDA is focused on making changes that improve the livelihood of our great farmers. I am pleased to announce three critical initiatives to support farmers and U.S. agriculture broadly,” said Secretary Rollins. “We’re modernizing how USDA serves farmers, providing commonsense flexibility when it’s needed most, and strengthening the risk management tools producers depend on. We will continue listening, acting, and putting Farmers First because that’s exactly what President Trump has directed us to do.”

USDA Plans Producer Listening Sessions

USDA is continuing work on a Data Modernization Plan that will cover multiple agencies and is expected to be released later this year. The Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area, led by Under Secretary Scott Hutchins, will coordinate the effort across USDA.

As part of that process, USDA leadership will hold listening sessions across the country to gather input directly from producers. The sessions are intended to inform the data modernization plan, increase confidence in USDA data, and improve survey response rates.

The listening sessions build on a Request for Information published earlier this year seeking public comments on USDA data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Sessions are planned at the Indiana State Fair, Wisconsin State Fair, Penn State Ag Progress Days, Illinois State Fair, Dakotafest, Missouri State Fair, Iowa State Fair, Nebraska State Fair, and Farm Progress Show.

Additional information about individual listening sessions is available by contacting DataModernization@usda.gov.

Crop Insurance Payments Get Additional Time

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is also authorizing Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to give producers up to 60 additional days to pay crop insurance premiums, administrative fees, and amounts due under Written Payment Agreements.

The flexibility applies to scheduled premium billing dates between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026.

During the additional 60-day period, AIPs may waive interest charges. Interest on unpaid premiums and administrative fees will begin accruing after the additional 60-day period ends or when the policy reaches its termination date, whichever occurs first.

RMA will also defer collection of unpaid producer premiums and administrative fees from AIPs and waive associated interest beginning with the August monthly accounting cycle.

Affected policyholders will be notified directly by their AIPs regarding the relief measures.

Additional Prevented Planting Coverage Returns

RMA is reinstating an option for insured producers to purchase an additional 5% of prevented planting coverage.

The option will be available beginning with crops associated with the August 31, 2026, filing date for the 2027 and succeeding crop years.

The additional coverage is intended to provide another risk management option when extreme weather or other conditions prevent normal planting.

Producers can contact their local crop insurance agent or visit the RMA website for information about how the changes may affect their coverage options.

RMA provides federal crop insurance and education programs covering more than 130 crops and said it continues to update policies based on producer feedback.