Walnut Crop Insurance Provisions

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is amending its walnut crop insurance regulations to remove the minimum acreage insurability requirement. This change will align the insurability requirements for walnut crop insurance with other tree nut insurance policies. Many walnut producers also grow other tree nut crops. Having different insurability requirements for crop insurance for similar crops has created additional work and confusion for producers and their Approved Insurance Providers (AIP). Much like other tree nut policies, the Walnut Crop Provisions will continue to require that the producer has a share in the orchard, the trees be adapted to the area, grown in an orchard acceptable to the AIP if inspected, and meet a minimum age requirement. The remaining insurability requirements have proven to be effective underwriting controls in the other tree nut policies to ensure the walnut crop insurance program remains actuarially sound with this change. In aligning the insurability requirements for walnuts and similar crops, this change is expected to make it easier for producers to obtain walnut crop insurance.