Service-related Questions and Detailed Information
Crop Insured
West Coast - Grapes are insurable if the vines:
East Coast - Grapes Are Insurable if the Vines:
Note
Wide varieties of grapes are listed for each county. You must insure all your acreage of a particular variety in a county at the same coverage level. However, one type can be insured and not another. For example, you could insure all your Chardonnay and none of your Merlot vineyards.
Causes of Loss
You are protected against the following:
Insurance Period
For new insureds, coverage begins on or after:
For carryover insureds, coverage begins on the day immediately following the end of the insurance period for the previous crop year.
For all insureds, coverage ends with the earliest occurrence of one of the following:
For California, to ensure the crop you plan to harvest this year, you must apply for coverage with a crop insurance agent before January 31. Insurance coverage begins in February for vineyards that haven’t been insured before and ends earlier before the date harvest ends or November 10.
Important Dates: (California)
Loss Example
Assume 65 percent coverage, 100 percent price election of $550 per ton, an average yield of 6 tons per acre, Chardonnay variety in San Joaquin county, and 100 percent share.
6Ton average per acre0.65Coverage level percentage3.9Tons per acre guarantee2.0Tons per acre actually produced1.9Tons per acre loss$550Price election$1045.
Gross Indemnity Per Acre
The price used above is, for example, only. Contact a crop insurance agent for current information.
Counties Available: (California)
Grapes are insurable in Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo counties. Grapes in other counties may be insurable by written agreement if specific criteria are met. Contact a Vintage Crop Insurance agent for more details.
For all other states, please contact us with a request on eligible counties.
Coverage Levels and Premium Subsidies
Coverage levels range from 50 to 85 percent of your approved yield. Crop insurance premiums are subsidized, as shown in the following table. For example, if you choose the 65-percent coverage level, your premium share would be 41 percent of the base premium.
Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) coverage is fixed at 50 percent of your approved yield and 55 percent of the price election. CAT is 100 percent subsidized with no premium cost to you. There is, as of 2020, an administrative fee of $655 per crop per county, regardless of the acreage.
This fact sheet gives only a general overview of the crop insurance program and is not a complete policy. Contact a crop insurance agent for further information and an evaluation of your risk management needs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, complete, sign, and mail a program discrimination complaint form (available at any USDA office location or online at www.ascr.usda.gov) to the United States Department of Agriculture; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410. Or call toll-free at (866) 632- 9992 (voice) to obtain additional information, the appropriate office, or to request documents. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136.
Source: https://www.rma.usda.gov/Fact-Sheets/Davis-Regional-Office-Fact-Sheets/Grapes-2016-CA