PM-26-059: Date Fruit Crop Insurance Program Implementation for the 2027 and Succeeding Crop Years

BACKGROUND:

On August 20, 2026, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) Board of Directors approved the Date Fruit pilot insurance program under section 523 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act. The new coverage for date fruit producers is available for the 2027 crop year in Yuma County, Arizona, and in Riverside and Imperial counties in California.

Date fruit crop insurance will provide Actual Production History (APH) coverage for the Medjool variety of commercially grown date fruit under irrigated practice, with available coverage levels between 50 percent and 85 percent or Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) coverage.

ACTION:

The following documents will be available by September 30, 2026, on the Risk Management Agency (RMA) website at https://www.rma.usda.gov:

• Date Fruit Crop Provisions (27-0496)
• Date Fruit Insurance Standards Handbook (FCIC-24470)
• Date Fruit Loss Adjustment Standards Handbook (FCIC-25120)

The sales closing date for date fruit is January 31, 2027.

Interested producers should contact a crop insurance agent for further information. A list of agents can be found on the RMA website at https://www.rma.usda.gov/Tools-Reports/Agent-Locator.

DISPOSAL DATE:
December 31, 2027