Bipartisan Senators Urge USDA to Reinstate Prevented Planting Crop Insurance Coverage
Image by budabar/DepositPhotos
A bipartisan group of 19 U.S. senators has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins requesting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture reinstate additional crop insurance coverage options for acres prevented from being planted. The senators argue that the change has removed a critical risk management tool at a time when farmers are facing increasing weather-related challenges.
Prevented planting coverage plays an important role in protecting producers when adverse weather conditions delay or completely prevent timely planting. The coverage applies to eligible commodities in all 50 states, offering financial protection when planting deadlines cannot be met due to circumstances beyond a producer’s control.
In their letter, the senators expressed concern about the elimination of additional buy-up coverage for prevented planting acres.
“Eliminating the option for producers to purchase dadditional buy-up coverage for prevented planting is troubling, especially at a time when our farmers need access to all risk management tools available to them.”
The senators emphasized the widespread impact of the policy change, citing USDA data that shows how many acres and producers are affected nationwide.
“According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) data, removal of this critical tool impacts over 67 million acres across all 50 states and all covered commodities in 2025 alone.”
The letter highlights the importance of maintaining flexible and comprehensive crop insurance options as extreme weather events continue to disrupt planting seasons. Prevented planting coverage helps stabilize farm income, supports lender confidence, and allows producers to better manage uncertainty tied to climate variability.
The effort was led by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Chairman John Boozman of Arkansas and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar. The bipartisan nature of the letter underscores broad concern across regions and political affiliations.
Additional signatories include Senators John Hoeven, Tommy Tuberville, Chuck Grassley, Deb Fischer, Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Joni Ernst, among others, reflecting strong support from lawmakers representing diverse agricultural states.
By urging USDA to reinstate additional prevented planting coverage options, the senators are calling attention to the need for robust risk management tools that allow farmers to respond to unpredictable conditions while continuing to provide a stable and reliable food supply. The request places renewed focus on crop insurance policy as a key component of long-term agricultural resilience.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.