USDA's Risk Management Agency is extending crop insurance flexibilities for producers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, relief provided for electronic notifications and signatures is extended through July 15, 2021. Organic certification, replant self-certification and assignment of indemnity are extended through June 30, 2021. RMA is also allowing Approved Insurance Providers further flexibilities for production reporting, submitting written agreement requests and obtaining producer signatures for written agreement offers. Producer signatures for written agreement offers, issued by RMA on or before June 30, with an expiration date on or before July 30, 2021, will allow producer signatures to be accepted after the expiration date with proper self-certification or documentation. However, all documentation and signatures for these offers must be completed no later than August 2, 2021. Insurance providers also have 30 business days to submit written agreement requests and applicable documentation for requests with submission deadlines before July 1, 2021. Similar flexibilities were announced in March of 2020, to help producers meet deadlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

USDA extends crop insurance flexibilities amid continuing pandemic