Federal Crop Insurance for Row Crops
Every serious grain and row crop operation buys crop insurance every year. The federal government pays roughly 60% of your premium. But the choices — Revenue Protection vs. Yield Protection, coverage level, unit structure, endorsements — are genuinely complex, and getting them wrong costs real money.
How Federal Crop Insurance Works
Crop insurance is a public-private partnership. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) designs the products and subsidizes your premium. Private Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) deliver the policies through licensed agents.
Key fact: Because policies are federally standardized, the price is identical regardless of which agent or AIP you use. What differs is the quality of advice. Roughly 89% of major field crop acreage is typically enrolled nationwide.
How Crop Insurance Is Delivered
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), housed within USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), designs every crop insurance product and sets every premium rate. Private companies known as Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) sell and service the policies. Your point of contact is a licensed crop insurance agent — someone who can help you select coverage levels, submit acreage reports, and file claims when losses occur.
Because RMA sets the rates, the premium for a given policy is identical no matter which agent or company sells it. There is no price shopping. The value an agent provides is in the quality of their advice: understanding your operation, running the numbers on different coverage and endorsement combinations, and making sure your APH and acreage reports are accurate. A good agent can save you thousands of dollars a year without changing your premium by a cent.
When a loss occurs, an AIP adjuster investigates the claim. Filing a claim does not cause your premiums to increase — crop insurance is not structured like auto insurance. Your premium is a function of your coverage level, your APH, the projected price, and your county's risk rating. Using the program when you have a legitimate loss is exactly what it's designed for.
New for 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) made several significant changes to crop insurance. The SCO premium subsidy increased from 65% to 80% — meaning you may pay roughly 20 cents on the dollar for coverage that fills the gap between your individual policy and 86% of county revenue. SCO is now available to producers enrolled in ARC, where it was previously limited to PLC enrollees.
The beginning farmer benefit window doubled from 5 to 10 years. If you've been farming 6–10 years and assumed you'd aged out of enhanced premium subsidies, it's worth checking with your agent. Premium subsidies also increased at every coverage level across the board.
ARC's coverage guarantee went from 86% to 90% of benchmark revenue, and ARC/PLC elections are required for 2026 — check with your FSA office for the current enrollment deadline. Read the full OBBB guide →
Decision 1: Revenue Protection vs. Yield Protection
Revenue Protection (RP) — ~90% of row crop acres
Protects when yield drops OR price drops OR both. Your guarantee uses the higher of the projected spring price or the harvest price. If corn is projected at $5.00 but drops to $4.00 by harvest, you're still protected at $5.00.
Yield Protection (YP)
Covers yield loss only at the spring price. Cheaper premiums but no price protection. Almost never the better choice for row crops.
Decision 2: Coverage Level
Choose 50% to 85% of expected revenue to insure.
Corn example: 180 bu/acre APH, $5.00/bu projected = $900/acre expected revenue
75%: Guarantee = $675/acre. 80%: $720/acre. 85%: $765/acre.
Premium subsidy: ~67% at 65% coverage, ~38% at 85%. Higher coverage costs more AND you pay a larger share.
Most Midwestern corn/soybean producers choose 75%–85%.
Decision 3: Unit Structure
Enterprise Units: All acreage of one crop in one county combined. Biggest premium discount (15–20% less). The default for most large operations. Trade-off: localized losses get averaged out.
Basic Units: Split by ownership. Higher premiums, but targeted loss payments.
Optional Units: Split further by section. Most expensive, most granular.
Decision 4: Endorsements — SCO and ECO
SCO: Covers the band between your individual level and 86% of county expected revenue. Under OBBB, SCO is now decoupled from ARC/PLC elections.
ECO: Covers 86% to 90% or 95% of county revenue. Now has 65% premium subsidy (up from 44%). Some producers see 6:1 premium-to-liability ratios.
County correlation matters. SCO/ECO pay on county-level losses. Works well if your yields track the county. Ask your agent for the historical correlation.
Your APH — The Number That Drives Everything
Actual Production History: your 4–10 year yield average. Always report production even in good years (missing reports drag down your APH). Ask about yield exclusion to remove bad years.
Look up current prices: You can find projected prices, harvest prices, and volatility factors for any covered commodity on the RMA Price Discovery portal. These are the prices RMA uses to calculate your revenue guarantee — worth checking before you lock in coverage.
Key Deadlines
Sales closing: March 15 for spring crops. September 30 for winter wheat.
Acreage reporting: July 15 for spring crops.
ARC/PLC election: June 30, 2026 (mandatory under OBBB).
What to Say When You Talk to Your Agent
“Before we lock in my policy, I want to walk through unit structure and endorsement options. Show me premium at 75%, 80%, and 85% — enterprise vs. optional units — and how SCO and ECO layer on top with the new subsidy rates.”
If your agent can't clearly explain these trade-offs, consider whether you're getting the advice your operation deserves.
Top federal crop-insurance counties, by state
Counties with the most row-crop acreage in each state — where RP, YP, and SCO/ECO endorsements see widest use.
Alabama
Limestone, Jackson, Dallas, De Kalb, Barbour, Lawrence, Lowndes, Marengo, Houston, Madison, Cullman, Lauderdale, Baldwin, Montgomery, Covington, Cherokee, Monroe, Geneva, Henry, Wilcox, Marshall, Hale
Arkansas
Mississippi, Lonoke, Arkansas, Phillips, White, Crittenden, Poinsett, Lee, Independence, Jefferson, Jackson, Craighead, Prairie, Chicot, Cross, Desha, Lawrence, Clay, Randolph, Hempstead, Greene, Woodruff
California
Tulare, San Joaquin, Imperial, Madera, Stanislaus, Siskiyou, Tehama, Humboldt, Modoc, Yolo, Colusa, Butte, Solano, Sutter, Sacramento
Colorado
Weld, Las Animas, Lincoln, Yuma, Washington, Kit Carson, Baca, Kiowa, Logan, Cheyenne, Elbert, Pueblo, Prowers, Bent, Montezuma, Adams, Morgan, Otero, Phillips, Crowley, Montrose, Arapahoe
Florida
Glades, Okeechobee, Jackson, Alachua, Jefferson, Suwannee, Madison, Walton, Lee, Columbia, Holmes, Hamilton, Gadsden, Leon, Union, Wakulla, Monroe
Georgia
Worth, Burke, Dooly, Thomas, Brooks, Mitchell, Bulloch, Colquitt, Decatur, Terrell, Screven, Coffee, Sumter, Early, Laurens, Jefferson, Calhoun, Tattnall, Berrien, Crisp, Appling, Macon
Idaho
Bingham, Owyhee, Cassia, Idaho, Twin Falls, Power, Washington, Bannock, Caribou, Bonneville, Nez Perce, Oneida, Latah, Minidoka, Elmore, Canyon, Franklin, Fremont, Lewis, Gooding, Bear Lake, Clark
Illinois
Iroquois, Livingston, La Salle, Mclean, Champaign, Pike, Sangamon, Macoupin, Bureau, Henry, Vermilion, Knox, Fulton, Adams, Hancock, Logan, Montgomery, Lee, Shelby, De Kalb, Ogle, Christian
Indiana
Allen, Knox, Jasper, White, Kosciusko, La Porte, Posey, Montgomery, Gibson, Pulaski, Randolph, Tippecanoe, Benton, Cass, Huntington, Adams, Shelby, Clinton, Boone, Warren, Miami, Wells
Iowa
Kossuth, Pottawattamie, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury, Jasper, Crawford, Clayton, Fayette, Monona, Benton, Harrison, Winneshiek, Wright, Hamilton, Cedar, Buchanan, Palo Alto, Tama, Webster, Clinton, Adair
Kansas
Finney, Butler, Reno, Sumner, Barber, Ford, Ness, Sherman, Greenwood, Gove, Cheyenne, Hamilton, Rawlins, Meade, Thomas, Marion, Ellis, Mcpherson, Rooks, Barton, Clark, Wallace
Kentucky
Christian, Daviess, Logan, Graves, Breckinridge, Warren, Grayson, Barren, Hopkins, Union, Pulaski, Madison, Casey, Hardin, Todd, Webster, Henderson, Butler, Hart, Marion, Harrison, Shelby
Louisiana
Concordia, Jefferson Davis, Avoyelles, Catahoula, East Carroll, Franklin, Morehouse, Madison, Richland, Tensas, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Evangeline, Natchitoches, Beauregard, Caddo, East Feliciana, West Carroll, Red River, Iberia, Bossier, Ouachita
Maryland
Frederick, Queen Annes, Kent, Carroll, Dorchester, Washington, Caroline, Worcester, Talbot, Garrett, Cecil, Baltimore, Wicomico, Montgomery, Harford, Somerset, Charles, Howard, Anne Arundel, Allegany, Prince Georges, Calvert
Michigan
Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Lenawee, Gratiot, Saginaw, Hillsdale, St Joseph, Montcalm, Clinton, Ionia, Branch, Isabella, Allegan, Shiawassee, Monroe, Calhoun, Eaton, Cass, Bay, Ingham, Jackson
Minnesota
Polk, Marshall, Otter Tail, Stearns, Renville, Kittson, Redwood, Clay, Roseau, Kandiyohi, Norman, Blue Earth, Fillmore, Martin, Lyon, Goodhue, Lac Qui Parle, Wilkin, Cottonwood, Jackson, Yellow Medicine, Faribault
Mississippi
Bolivar, Washington, Sunflower, Yazoo, Leflore, Coahoma, Holmes, Tallahatchie, Hinds, Noxubee, Tunica, Madison, Humphreys, Marshall, Quitman, Calhoun, Panola, Sharkey, Chickasaw, Monroe, Clay, Attala
Missouri
Vernon, Macon, Bates, Saline, Stoddard, Johnson, Texas, Harrison, Carroll, Nodaway, Chariton, Barton, Howell, Henry, Pettis, New Madrid, Polk, Douglas, Pike, Audrain, Linn, Osage
Montana
Big Horn, Rosebud, Chouteau, Garfield, Fergus, Custer, Blaine, Phillips, Powder River, Hill, Valley, Carter, Yellowstone, Cascade, Roosevelt, Toole, Dawson, Richland, Mccone, Musselshell, Glacier, Beaverhead
Nebraska
Cherry, Lincoln, Sheridan, Custer, Holt, Sioux, Garden, Morrill, Dawes, Brown, Cheyenne, Box Butte, Dawson, Rock, Buffalo, Kimball, Perkins, Mcpherson, Chase, Gage, Dundy, Antelope
New Jersey
Salem, Burlington, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Cumberland, Monmouth, Gloucester, Atlantic, Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Camden, Ocean
New York
Steuben, St Lawrence, Jefferson, Chautauqua, Cayuga, Wyoming, Livingston, Washington, Oneida, Genesee, Ontario, Madison, Wayne, Onondaga, Cattaraugus, Lewis, Chenango, Erie, Otsego, Franklin, Orleans, Delaware
North Carolina
Sampson, Robeson, Duplin, Union, Halifax, Johnston, Northampton, Bertie, Pitt, Wayne, Bladen, Edgecombe, Martin, Beaufort, Lenoir, Nash, Randolph, Wilson, Columbus, Iredell, Wilkes, Hyde
North Dakota
Mckenzie, Morton, Stutsman, Mountrail, Mchenry, Dunn, Williams, Grant, Mclean, Ward, Bottineau, Emmons, Cass, Barnes, Cavalier, Richland, Burleigh, Kidder, Grand Forks, Slope, Bowman, Walsh
Ohio
Darke, Putnam, Pickaway, Mercer, Ross, Wayne, Wood, Hancock, Henry, Hardin, Clinton, Madison, Williams, Seneca, Auglaize, Highland, Van Wert, Huron, Champaign, Union, Wyandot, Marion
Oklahoma
Osage, Texas, Cimarron, Beaver, Woods, Woodward, Ellis, Roger Mills, Grady, Garfield, Harper, Dewey, Grant, Custer, Washita, Kiowa, Blaine, Kay, Major, Beckham, Alfalfa, Jefferson
Oregon
Umatilla, Malheur, Morrow, Wasco, Baker, Gilliam, Jefferson, Klamath, Wallowa, Sherman, Union, Linn, Washington, Columbia, Tillamook, Multnomah
Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Franklin, York, Bedford, Berks, Tioga, Crawford, Somerset, Adams, Washington, Lycoming, Susquehanna, Indiana, Mercer, Cumberland, Chester, Westmoreland, Erie, Butler, Armstrong, Huntingdon, Northumberland
South Carolina
Orangeburg, Williamsburg, Anderson, Colleton, Sumter, Darlington, Clarendon, Horry, Aiken, Lee, Chesterfield, Florence, Dillon, Newberry, Abbeville, Calhoun, Saluda, Bamberg, Kershaw, Spartanburg, Hampton, Lexington
South Dakota
Meade, Perkins, Harding, Corson, Butte, Dewey, Jackson, Pennington, Haakon, Lyman, Fall River, Ziebach, Brown, Tripp, Hand, Spink, Todd, Mellette, Stanley, Edmunds, Beadle, Charles Mix
Tennessee
Weakley, Gibson, Lincoln, Dyer, Obion, Giles, Haywood, Lawrence, Bedford, Fayette, Henry, Lauderdale, Maury, Greene, Robertson, Humphreys, Tipton, Wilson, Carroll, Montgomery, Madison, Hardeman
Texas
Uvalde, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Tom Green, Hartley, Oldham, Schleicher, Gaines, Coleman, Zavala, Atascosa, Runnels, Hansford, Floyd, Medina, Gonzales, Concho, Roberts, Sherman, Briscoe, Donley, Wheeler
Virginia
Augusta, Rockingham, Fauquier, Bedford, Russell, Halifax, Southampton, Franklin, Wythe, Rockbridge, Scott, Mecklenburg, Tazewell, Shenandoah, Smyth, Campbell, Charlotte, Culpeper, Carroll, Loudoun, Orange, Dinwiddie
Washington
Yakima, Whitman, Lincoln, Grant, Adams, Okanogan, Douglas, Walla Walla, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, Spokane, Stevens, Columbia, Garfield, Asotin, Kittitas, Whatcom, Snohomish, San Juan, Clallam
West Virginia
Pendleton, Hampshire, Preston, Monroe, Hardy, Mason, Pocahontas, Barbour, Braxton, Mineral, Berkeley, Calhoun, Jefferson, Wayne, Ohio
Source: 2022 Census of Agriculture. Updated 2026-05-01.
Last updated: March 2026. Educational only — work with a licensed agent for your specific decisions. rma.usda.gov