Ranking Member Stabenow Applauds Expansion of Crop Insurance Options for Michigan Fruit Growers

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today applauded an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) providing additional crop insurance options to fruit and nut producers. The announcement, made possible by Stabenow's 2014 Farm Bill, expands the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) program to additional producers in select counties for the 2016 year.

"No farmer should go out of business because of bad weather or other disasters," Stabenow said. "That's why I fought for these changes in the Farm Bill. In places like Michigan, fruit production is a major component of our state's farm economy. For too long, these producers did not have access to the same crop insurance tools as traditional row crops. With today's announcement, we are closing that gap and providing the same risk management tools to all farmers and producers."

In Michigan, the Supplemental Coverage Option will be available to apple, blueberry, grape, and peach producers in certain counties in 2016. A list of additional crop insurance options available by county can be found here.