The U.S. Dep artment of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Manageme nt Agency (RMA) today announced $8.7 million in cooperative agreements for risk management education and training programs. The funding would give organizations needed resources to develop training and education too ls to help farmers and ranchers , especially those traditionally under served or with limited resource s , learn how to effectively manag ing long - term risks and challenges.
Through these partnerships, producers will receive assistance in understanding and using cr op insurance programs and other tools so they can make the best risk management decisions for their agricultural operations. Past a ward recipients have included universities, county cooperative extension office s and non profit organizations. “ These partnerships help educate producers on the many new crop insurance options available ,” RMA Administrator Brandon Willis said. “Federal cro p insurance can help keep farmers and ranchers in business when affected by events beyond their control, and USDA has developed new options over the past few years to assist more types of operators who make up the diverse American agricultural community.”
Available funding includes $4.4 million for the Cro p Insurance in Targeted States P rogram. The program backs development of crop insurance education programs where there is a low level of federal crop insurance participation and availability. The targeted states are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. Additionally, $4.3 million in funding is available for th e Risk Management Education Partnerships Program, which provides money for the development of general nationwide crop insurance education as well as other risk management training programs for producers. A broad range of risk management training ac tivitie s are eligible for funding consideration.
Training can also focus on educating producers on the federal crop insurance program and options resulting from Farm Bill provisions. The agreements will also help train farmers at all levels on risk management options that help secure local food systems a nd strengthen rural communities. In particular, RMA seeks to fund projects that include innovative approaches in product delivery toward the priorities – such as Whole - Farm Revenue Protection and Farm Financial Benchmarking – listed in each funding opportunity.
Source:usda.gov