INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM R&D-96-31

TO:       All Reinsured Companies           
          All Risk Management Field Offices
          FSA Headquarters, Program Delivery & Field Operations 

FROM:     Tim B. Witt    /s/ 7-12-96
          Director
          Research and Development Division

SUBJECT:  Pilot Crop Insurance Program Announcement for Avocado

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors recently 
approved offering a pilot crop insurance program for avocado.  The avocado 
pilot program will be a Revenue Insurance plan of multiple peril crop 
insurance offered for the 1998, 1999,and 2000 crop years.  The pilot program 
will be offered in Ventura County, California.

Avocado producers may sign up for all coverage levels through an approved 
crop insurance agent.  Catastrophic coverage is also available at the local 
office of the Farm Service Agency. Coverage must be purchased before the
November 30, 1996, sales closing date for the 1998 crop year.  Linkage 
requirements, including the waiver of eligibility for emergency assistance, 
to be eligible for certain other Department of Agriculture program benefits
apply for avocado as with any other insurable crop.

Crop insurance agents will need to have access to a computer capable of 
running the Revenue Insurance software to quote Revenue Insurance premiums.  
The software is in a Windows 3.1 format.  The Avocado Revenue Insurance 
software will be available on the Reporting Organization Server after 
July 29, 1996.

Office of Risk Management will provide training covering:  Program Overview, 
Avocado Crop Insurance Provisions, Underwriting Procedures, and Software 
Usage.  The Examination for Sales Agent Certification will also be given.  
The meeting location is: 

     Citrus Exchange Building 
     201 S. Streckel Street
     Santa Paula, California  
   
The meeting date and times are:  

     July 24, 1996, 1 to 4:30 p.m. PDT.

Please contact Elaine Taylor in the Research and Evaluation Branch at 
(816) 926-6343 prior to July 17, 1996, and furnish the names of anyone who 
wishes to attend.

The crop insurance handbook update, loss adjustment standards handbook, and 
the crop provisions will be furnished in the near future.