By Pat Swanson
We’re celebrating RMA’s 30 years of service to America’s agricultural producers through effective, market-based risk management tools to strengthen the economic stability of agricultural producers and rural communities.
I know how vital these tools are to farmers and ranchers. I’m a sixth-generation farmer myself and have served as a crop insurance agent for over 20 years in Southeast Iowa. I’ve seen crop insurance work where it matters most – on the farm. In good years, it’s a safety net. In tough years, it can be the difference between a farmer staying in business or being forced out. Risk management through crop insurance helps farmers recover from losses and gives lenders the assurance needed to provide operating credit for the next season.
While our agency was established in 1996, our roots trace back to the 1930s to help the nation’s agricultural industry recover from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The Federal crop insurance program has grown significantly since then, with the creation of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) in 1938, leading up to the creation of RMA to administer FCIC programs to support the American agriculture industry.
Through a public-private partnership with RMA, Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) sell and service Federal crop insurance policies in every state and in Puerto Rico. The federal crop insurance program currently offers 42 plans of insurance, covering 138 commodities and crops.
In crop year 2025 alone, more than 1.3 million policies were sold to insure crops and livestock valued at more than $199.5 billion and across 561 million acres.
Source : farmers.gov