Hoeven: USDA to Defer Interest on 2019 Crop Insurance Premiums
Flexibility Follows Hoeven’s Meetings with USDA Leaders and ND Producers
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) will defer the accrual of interest for 2019 crop year insurance premiums. Specifically, for producers with crop insurance policies with a premium billing date of August 15, 2019, USDA will defer the accrual of interest on premiums to the termination date or January 31, 2020, whichever is earlier. This increased flexibility means that producers will now have until January 31, 2020 to pay their 2019 premium without accruing interest.
Last week, Hoeven held an agriculture roundtable with USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey, who oversees RMA, and North Dakota producers to outline the need for additional flexibility and support for producers impacted by severe weather. Additionally, on Monday, Hoeven held a meeting in Minot with the RMA Administrator Martin Barbre and North Dakota producers to urge RMA to provide producers with this much needed assistance.
“We made the case for this additional flexibility during our meetings with Under Secretary Northey and RMA Administrator Barbre and North Dakota producers,” said Hoeven. “We appreciate USDA for extending this deferral given the cash flow issues facing our producers. We continue working with USDA to provide assistance under MFP and WHIP+ as soon as possible, which will help farmers maintain their operations as they recover from a delayed harvest and other impacts.”
Today’s announcement builds on Hoeven’s work as the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee Chairman to provide strong funding for the federal crop insurance program, along with a second round of trade assistance through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP). Hoeven also ensured that the disaster relief legislation Congress passed in May was forward-looking to provide coverage for disasters throughout 2019 and supported the State of North Dakota’s request for a Secretarial disaster designation, which makes producers in 47 counties automatically eligible for assistance under the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+).
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