Livestock Risk Protection

The new crop year for RMA’s Livestock Programs begins July 1. Livestock Risk Protection insurance protects policy holders against declining market prices, protecting producers from a drop in the market for the period selected. Upon established eligibility, producers apply for a SCE for a certain number of head, level of coverage, and number of weeks. Jo Lynne Seufer, Risk Management Specialist with the USDA RMA Spokane Regional Office, says the agency has had great participation in its Livestock Risk Protection Program.

SEUFER: Particularly in the feeder cattle here in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. We do have it for fed cattle, swine, and lamb. Lamb has also been very popular and well participated in.

Producers that have participated in this last crop year, which ends June 30, will be able to start over with their allocation and limitations on how many fed cattle, feeder cattle, lamb or swine that they insured last year.

SEUFER: Primarily the numbers are so high that producers generally don’t reach that because it is a limit of about two thousand head under the cattle, and even more so under the lamb, which is around 25 thousand.

Providing the 2012 Farm Bill is completed, funds for Livestock Gross Margin for dairy cattle insurance will not be available until October 1 this fiscal year. For information on the Livestock Programs call Jo Lynne at 1-800-205-9953.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.