December 12, 1997
                                      
     
     
     INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM:   R&D-97-088
     
     TO:      All Reinsured Companies
              All Risk Management Field Offices
              
     FROM:    Tim B. Witt        /s/ TIM B. WITT
              Deputy Administrator
     
     SUBJECT: Elimination of the Group Risk Plan for Barley
     
     BACKGROUND:
     
     The Group Risk Plan (GRP) for barley was made available beginning with
     the 1994 crop year. Although the program has been available in 54
     counties of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, GRP for barley
     experienced limited sales for the 1994 crop year and zero sales in
     subsequent years.  The GRP guarantees and payments for barley are based
     on the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) summer fallow and
     continuous cropping yield indices.  Effective for 1998, NASS will
     discontinue the collection of the data needed to estimate the summer
     fallow and continuous cropping yields.
     
     ACTION:
     
     Risk Management Agency has eliminated GRP for barley effective with the
     1998 crop year.