Agricultural News
Center for Rural Affairs Launches Crop Insurance Reform Initiative
Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:38:13 CDT
The Center for Rural Affairs announced the launch of an initiative aimed at reforming federal crop insurance programs.
"The time has come for crop insurance reforms that emphasize conserving soil and water, put real limits on subsidies to the nation's largest farms, and ensures these subsidies are transparent to taxpayers," said Traci Bruckner, Senior Policy Associate at the Center for Rural Affairs.
"Here at the Center, we've heard from farmers across the Midwest and Great Plains about the negative impacts of federally subsidized crop insurance for over a decade," Bruckner said. "A farm safety net is important to help family farmers mitigate risks, but there are real concerns with the current crop insurance program."
According to Bruckner, the federal government subsidizes crop insurance, paying 62% of premiums, on average, in 2012. Insurance policies are sold and completely serviced through 19 approved private insurance companies. Not only does the federal government pay the majority of producers' premiums on every single acre, regardless of how large they are or how much money they make, insurance companies' losses are also reinsured by USDA. In addition, the federal government reimburses the insurance company's administrative and operating costs. In total, these insurance companies have lobbied and negotiated for guaranteed profits approaching a 14 percent return on their investment.
"The current government subsidized crop insurance program is working against the very farmers we all believe deserve a safety net," Bruckner added. "The program is not transparent, props up private insurance company profits, and puts our natural resources at risk."
Moreover, unlimited crop insurance subsidies result in mega-farms driving up land costs, driving their smaller neighbors out of business, and barring the next generation of family farmers from even getting a start, Bruckner concluded.
For more information the Center for Rural Affairs Crop Insurance Reform Initiative, go to www.cfra.org/crop-insurance-reform or contact Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org or John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org.
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