GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES INCREASED PREVENTED PLANTING COVERAGE
                                           
                                                Release No. 0429.97


                                                  

                                        Laura Trivers  (202) 720-4623
                                              laura.trivers@usda.gov                                        
                                        Eric Edgington (202) 690-2539




GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES INCREASED PREVENTED PLANTING COVERAGE

     SANTIAGO, CHILE, December 5, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman 
announced changes in crop insurance policies that will provide insured
farmers significantly better prevented planting coverage. The 14 crops
affected by this change represent 84 percent of the 1.6 million crop
insurance policies reinsured by the Risk Management Agency(RMA).

     "Today's announcement directly addresses the need to strengthen this
key section of the agricultural safety net," said Glickman.  "Producers,
commodity organizations, agents and insurance companies have worked
diligently with RMA to simplify and improve prevented planting coverage.
Now, USDA will be able to provide better and more timely assistance to
producers suffering early season losses."

     The changes, applicable to insured crops beginning this spring, will
increase prevented planting coverage and reduce the time needed to pay a
claim.  For coarse grains (corn, grain sorghum, and soybeans), small grains
(barley, flax, oats, rye, and wheat), dry beans, and sunflowers, prevented
planting coverage increases from 50 percent to 60 percent of the production
guarantee, with an option for producers with buy-up coverage to increase
their prevented planting coverage to 65 or 70 percent for an additional
premium.  

     The regulations also increase prevented planting coverage for Upland
cotton, ELS cotton, sugar beets, onions, and rice from 35 percent to 45
percent, with an option for producers with buy-up coverage to increase their
prevented planting coverage to 50 or 55 percent for an additional premium.
Based on comments received, RMA will be seeking additional comments on
Upland and ELS cotton prevented planting coverage.  Substitute crops for
acres prevented from planting are limited to cover crops that are not
harvested.


                                #

NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet.
Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov