U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced major updates to federal crop insurance, reducing red tape for farmers, modernizing long-standing policies, and expanding access to critical risk protection beginning with the 2026 crop year.
The “Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting American farmers first. The Act reduces regulatory burdens by removing the “insured” requirement from the “1 in 4” rule for prevented planting payments. Other changes include allowing policyholders switching Approved Insurance Providers to submit production reports directly to their new provider, reducing confusion and paperwork.
“With this new rule, we are delivering real, meaningful relief by modernizing the system, expanding access to crop insurance, and making it easier, not harder, for farmers and ranchers to protect their operations and keep doing their work of feeding and fueling America,” Rollins said. “We’re putting farmers first.”
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Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, NAFB News Service
