The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard's Dairyman.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting more than a dozen in-person and virtual workshops this winter for producers to learn about new and expanded livestock risk management products. The “Livestock Roadshow,” hosted by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), will highlight policy improvements based on feedback from America’s livestock producers as part of the agency’s broader outreach and education efforts.
“Listening to farmers and ranchers, learning about their needs, and using feedback to make improvements to risk management options is a top priority for Risk Management Agency,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “We are committed to expanding the reach of crop insurance, especially to producers who haven’t previously participated. The Livestock Roadshow is one of our many efforts to provide outreach and education to America’s agricultural producers.”
Improvements to livestock insurance options have led to tremendous growth. For example, Livestock Risk Protection grew by 250% in two years, with about 27 million head of cattle insured in 2023. Meanwhile, Livestock Gross Margin grew by 600% in two years, with about 14.5 million head of cattle insured in 2023.
To ensure livestock producers across the country can attend a livestock roadshow event, two virtual livestock roadshows are scheduled for January. To learn more about the virtual roadshows, and to see the full listing of upcoming in-person roadshow events, visit the Livestock Roadshow webpage.
Producers attending the Livestock Roadshow events can expect to learn more about:
- Annual Forage
- Dairy Revenue Protection
- Livestock Gross Margin
- Livestock Risk Protection
- Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage
- Weaned Calf Risk Protection
The Livestock Roadshow builds on other recent outreach and education efforts. Earlier this year, RMA held a roadshow highlighting insurance options for specialty crop, organic, and urban producers, drawing more than 3,000 attendees. Additionally, since 2021, RMA has invested around $13 million in partnerships to advance risk management education. Learn more on the Outreach and Education webpage.
More Information
Livestock producers can learn more by visiting the Livestock Roadshow webpage or by contacting a RMA Regional Office. Additionally, all producers can subscribe for email messages from RMA.
Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at rma.usda.gov or by contacting your a RMA Regional Office.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.
