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WASHINGTON, Nov 1, 2010 - RMA has announced that the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors (Board) approved the Louisiana Sweet Potato Actual Production History (APH) insurance plan at its Sep 22, 2010 meeting. The plan was approved under procedures that allow private submitters to present proposed insurance plans directly to the Board for consideration as insurance products. The Louisiana Sweet Potato Association and the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation submitted the plan.

Sweet Potato APH insurance will be available in the Louisiana counties of: Acadia, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Franklin, Morehouse, Rapides, Richland, St. Landry, and West Carroll. Sweet potatoes intended for both fresh market and processing will be insured. Producers must provide four years of fresh market sweet potato production records to be eligible for insurance. Acreage eligible for insurance will be limited to 110 percent of the highest acreage grown in the prior three crop years.

“We are pleased with the approval of this new product, which will meet the needs of a number of sweet potato producers in Louisiana,” said RMA Administrator William J. Murphy. “This new product is another example of how RMA is expanding the availability of crop insurance to more crops and in more areas of the country. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Association and the Louisiana Farm Bureau in making this program available to Louisiana producers.”

RMA will release policy provisions and program materials by November 30, 2010 for the 2011 crop year. Producers interested in the Louisiana Sweet Potato APH insurance plan will need to contact their crop insurance agent.

RMA previously insured sweet potatoes under a pilot program in several states, including Louisiana, but terminated the pilot program in 2009 due to a number of program issues.