What New Crop Insurance Rule Means for Farmers
USDA’s new Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule delivers several changes that make crop insurance easier to use, easier to qualify for, and more flexible — with expanded benefits for beginning farmers and specialty-crop growers
USDA’s new Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule delivers some of the most significant crop-insurance reforms in years, cutting red tape, expanding eligibility, and modernizing long-standing requirements beginning with the 2026 crop year. Link
The rule eases prevented-planting qualifications, simplifies switching insurance providers, and gives USDA more flexibility to adjust coverage dates at the local level.
It also removes the “automatic nullification” rule to provide fairer dispute resolution, expands specialty-crop coverage — including Dollar Plan access for direct-market tomatoes and peppers — and implements major new benefits for beginning farmers, who will now receive extended premium subsidies for up to 10 years.
Additional changes strengthen revenue-protection safeguards and update several crop-specific policies, all reflecting producer feedback and the administration’s push to streamline the farm safety net.
1. Prevented Planting Becomes Easier to Qualify For
USDA removed one of the biggest barriers in the “1-in-4” rule.
You no longer need proof that the land was insured in a previous year—only that it had been planted/harvested sometime in the last four years.
What this means:
• More acres qualify for prevented-planting payments.
• Fewer fields get permanently disqualified after back-to-back disasters.
• Less paperwork to prove eligibility.
2. Less Red Tape When Switching Insurance Providers
If you move to a new Approved Insurance Provider (AIP), you can now submit production reports directly to your new insurer.
What this means:
• No more chasing down your old provider for records.
• Fewer delays, fewer disputes.
• Cleaner transition between companies.
3. Coverage Dates Will Be More Local and More Flexible
USDA is removing fixed dates (termination, cancellation, end-of-insurance) from federal regulations and putting them into policy provisions instead.
What this means:
• Dates can now be updated faster at the county level.
• More flexibility for regions with changing weather patterns.
• Less waiting for national rule changes when local adjustments are needed.
4. Fairer Dispute Resolution
The old “automatic nullification” rule is gone.
Courts — not USDA bureaucracy — will now determine factual disputes.
What this means:
• Minor paperwork errors are less likely to void coverage.
• Farmers get a fairer process if disputes arise.
• Insurance companies also get clarity, reducing conflicts with producers.
5. Specialty Crop Expansion: New Options for Direct Marketing
Beginning with the 2027 crop year, USDA is allowing the Dollar Plan for direct-marketed fresh market tomatoes and peppers.
What this means:
• Specialty crop growers — especially in the Northeast — get coverage designed for farmstand, CSA, and local-market sales.
• Policies better match real business models.
6. Bigger and Longer Benefits for Beginning Farmers
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) significantly expands support.
What this means if you’re a beginning farmer:
• You qualify for special benefits for 10 years instead of 5.
• Premium subsidy increases now last longer:
- 15% for years 1–2
- 13% in year 3
- 11% in year 4
- 10% for years 5–10
This is one of the largest expansions of beginning-farmer support ever.
7. Revenue Protection Fixes + Refunds
If USDA cannot calculate a harvest price due to missing data, the price will default to the projected price.
If you paid extra premium because of this situation, USDA will reimburse you.
What this means:
• No more overpaying because of methodology failures.
• Clearer protections when markets lack data.
8. Crop-Specific Improvements
These updates respond directly to producer feedback:
• Tomatoes: Insurance period extended by one month in TN & SC to cover late-season hurricanes.
• Peppers: New insurance dates for northern growing seasons.
•Safflower: Contract change date moves to Nov. 30 for easier enrollment.
What this means:
Coverage reflects real production risks and growing seasons.
Bottom Line for farmers
This rule is aimed squarely at cutting paperwork, expanding eligibility, and making crop insurance work the way farmers actually farm.
Key benefits include:
• Easier prevented-planting qualification
• Simpler provider switching
• Expanded beginning-farmer benefits
• Improved specialty-crop coverage
• Fairer dispute processes
• Local flexibility on coverage dates
• Refund protections for revenue policies
