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WASHINGTON, Sep 4, 2008 - California Avocado Actual Production History (APH) Pilot Crop Insurance, approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board at its Aug 14, 2008 meeting, will make APH insurance available to avocado growers in Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties in California for the 2010 crop year.

The California Avocado APH Pilot replaces the California Avocado Revenue (CAR) pilot program in place since 1998. The new pilot will offer fruit-yield-only coverage for producers of the Hass variety of avocados, the dominant type grown in the pilot areas.

Two key advantages the new APH pilot program have over the previous revenue-based plan is elimination of both the need for long term county revenue and any deflating of these revenues, and the need to forecast a season-ending price--which should result in more timely loss payments.

The APH plan of insurance is the oldest and most common plan offered by FCIC, and as a result is a plan with which most crop insurance agents, companies, and producers are thoroughly familiar. Under the APH plan, approved yield is based on the simple average of historical producer yields as reported in an 'actual production history, the data record which gives the plan its name. A price election will be developed prior to sales closing which is two years before the end of the insurance period.

The California Avocado APH Pilot Program will use the standard basic provisions but unique crop provisions. It also utilizes standard APH rating procedures.

Coverage for the 2010 crop year may currently be purchased until sales closing on November 30, 2008.

The catastrophic (CAT) endorsement will apply.