Hurricane Insurance Expansion and U.S. Meat Record Sales
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**On April 30, USDA’s Risk Management Agency announced a significant expansion of the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index endorsement and the Tropical Storm Option, making them available to producers whose crops are insured through the Written Agreement process.
This change becomes effective for the 2027 crop year.
Written Agreements are a critical tool that allow producers to obtain federal crop insurance for crops or practices not yet covered in a given county.
**Senator Amy Klobuchar and 23 other senators are raising concerns about the USDA’s planned reorganization of its Research, Education and Economics mission, saying it could disrupt agricultural research and economic reporting.
In a letter, the lawmakers said they support improving efficiency but warned the restructuring could weaken research agencies and limit their ability to provide scientific innovation and economic data.
The senators asked USDA to provide details about the steps being taken.
**U.S. retail meat sales climbed to a record $112 billion in 2025 as consumers continued prioritizing protein and fresh meat purchases despite higher grocery prices.
According to the 2026 Power of Meat report released by the Meat Institute and FMI-The Food Industry Association, meat sales rose 6.8% from the previous year, while pound sales increased 2%.
Fresh meat sales reached nearly $80 billion, led by beef, chicken and pork.
