INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM:    R&D-97-039
     
TO:      All Reinsured Companies
         All Risk Management Field Offices
              
FROM:    Tim B. Witt       /s/ R. E. Waggoner (for)
         Deputy Administrator     
              
SUBJECT: Crop Revenue Coverage - 1998 Program Materials for Wheat Crop
         Insurance Program Expansion and Winter Wheat Coverage
         Endorsement
     
BACKGROUND:
     
The Board of Directors of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC)
has approved expansion of the Crop Revenue Coverage (CRC) Insurance
Program for wheat, and the addition of a Winter Wheat Coverage
Endorsement for the 1998 crop year.  CRC wheat will be expanded into
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New
Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and additional counties in
Montana and North Dakota.  The Winter Wheat Coverage Endorsement will
be available for CRC wheat counties with both fall and spring final
planting dates.  CRC wheat will be available for approved States (a
total of 34 States for the 1998 crop year) and counties where CRC wheat
actuarial materials are filed. 
     
The CRC Basic Provisions dated January 30, 1997, will be in effect for
the 1998 wheat crop.  The Wheat Crop Provisions have been updated and
the Winter Wheat Coverage Endorsement has been added for the 1998 crop
year.
     
ACTION:
     
The 1998 CRC wheat program materials are available electronically via
the Reporting Organization (RO) Server.  This release includes the CRC
Wheat Crop Provisions, Winter Wheat Coverage Endorsement, Commodity
Exchange Endorsement-Wheat, 1998 Wheat-Underwriting Rules, and 1998
Wheat-Questions and Answers.  Actuarial material (rates, special
provisions, etc.) will be available for CRC wheat with a June 30
contract change date not later than June 6.      
     
The actuarial material for 1998 CRC spring wheat counties will be
available with the December 31 actuarial filing.  The CRC Basic
Provisions dated January 30, 1997, were released on the RO server at an
earlier date.  
     
Please advise your Data Processing Managers to monitor the RO Server for
the Actuarial Division release of the CRC materials which will contain
the RO Server file names, file locations, and contact persons for
assistance.   For CRC program related matters, contact the Product
Development Division at (816) 926-7730 or by fax at (816) 926-1841.