Risk Management Agency Precision Farming Technology Systems and Federal Crop Insurance This presentation highlights specific features of Risk Management Agency programs, policy and procedure and is not intended to be comprehensive. The information presented neither modifies nor replaces the terms and conditions of the Basic Provisions, the Crop Provisions, Actuarial Documents or applicable handbooks. Eric J. Bashore Billings Regional Office Director January 18, 2016 1
Risk Management Agency Acceptable Farm Management Records The 2016 Crop Insurance Handbook (CIH) recognizes automated yield monitoring system yield maps/summary reports as acceptable farm management records (see Par. 1433), if the following requirements are met: Proper Calibration An Annual Calibration Report is Available An Acceptable Yield Map/Summary Report is Generated 2
Risk Management Agency Proper Calibration The yield monitoring system must be calibrated, by crop, in accordance with the owner s manual specifications. The sensor calibration must result in an error rate of three percent or less based on actual production from the sample acres. See Par. 1433A in the 2016 CIH for further reference. 3
Risk Management Agency Annual Calibration Report The annual calibration report, from the yield monitor system or documentation from the insured, must include all sensor calibrations and adjustments performed, by crop, for the crop year, including the date each sensor calibration/adjustment was performed and the percentage change from the previous setting. The annual calibration report must be provided to the Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) or RMA upon request. 4
Risk Management Agency Yield Map or Summary Report The insured must provide to the AIP or RMA, upon request, either a yield map or a production summary report generated by the yield monitoring system, which provides all of the following, by P/T/TMA (if items a - d below are not provided in the summary report or on a yield map, the insured must provide this information separately): (a) Insured s name (b) Unit number (c) FSA farm/tract/field ID number (optional) (d) Legal description of acreage (e) Crop name (f) Acres harvested (g) Harvest date (h) Total weight (i) Total yield (unadjusted for moisture) (j) Average moisture (k) Total dry weight/yield adjusted for moisture, as required by the CP, actuarial documents and loss claims standards 5
Risk Management Agency Verifying Production Loss Purposes The 2016 Loss Adjustment Manual (LAM) similarly recognizes that verifiable farm management records from producers using precision farm technology systems can be used to verify or determine harvested production (see Par. 931). 6
Risk Management Agency Verifying Production Loss Purposes (Con t) The 2016 LAM states in Subparagraph 931(3) that acceptable precision farming technology systems used to establish records for total production must include at least the following components: GPS technology integrated with planter monitors, combine monitors, yield mapping software; The capability of producing summary reports that reflect planted acres, harvested acres, and harvested production; and Report of calibrations performed per manufacturer s requirements. 7
Risk Management Agency Verifying Production Loss Purposes (Con t) For the production records to be acceptable, the 2016 LAM requires calibration of the automated yield monitoring system (3% tolerance) and a print out with required elements similar to the CIH requirements previously discussed. See Subparagraphs 821I and 931(7) in the 2016 LAM for additional reference. If the production and yield map records provided by the insured are not reasonable or the AIP has reason to question the production and/or yield map records, the insured must provide the precision farming technology system or yield monitor system s raw data and any additional production records requested by the AIP. 8
Risk Management Agency Acreage Measurement Loss Purposes Acreage measurement for loss adjustment purposes can be performed using GPS, remote sensing devices used in conjunction with aerial photos or satellite imagery, or AIP approved precision farming technology system planter monitor records. See Subparagraphs 821H, 821I and 931(7) in the 2016 LAM for additional reference (calibration requirements must still be met). If the automated planter monitor acreage records provided by the insured are not reasonable, or the AIP has reason to question the records, the insured must provide the precision farming technology system s raw data, and any additional records requested by the AIP. 9
Department of Agriculture Acreage and Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative
ACRSI - Vision The ACRSI vision is a common USDA framework for producer commodity reporting in support of USDA programs Accomplished through the creation of a USDA data standard allowing the Producer to report their common crop and acreage reporting data once through the reporting channel of their choice: Crop Insurance Agent FSA County Office Third-party upload capability Department of Agriculture 11
ACRSI - Goals Simplify and streamline producer reporting Enable producers to report common data, including core customer information, once Improve information accuracy and reliability to support reporting and compliance Minimize duplicate data reporting/data reconciliation Develop and support direct reporting options and producer self-service opportunities Leverage geospatial technology Share and leverage reported data across USDA systems Department of Agriculture 12
ACRSI - Objectives Develop Data Standards in 4 business areas Producer/Business Entity Identification Crop Reporting Land Location Information Crop Production Publish the Data Standards Establish a multi-agency Governance Process to support the Data Standards over time Share and leverage these Data Standards across USDA systems Department of Agriculture 13
ACRSI - Accomplishments Developed Data Standards in 4 business areas: Producer/Business Entity Identification common fields for identification of person common business entity types and identifiers Annual Crop/Commodity Reporting consolidated acreage reporting dates developed Commodity Validation Table Department of Agriculture 14
ACRSI - Accomplishments Developed Data Standards in 4 business areas (cont d) : Land Location Information adoption of Common Land Unit (CLU) as the USDA land location dataset adopted American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards for location State and County updated and published a common Public Land Survey System (PLSS)/National Grid Department of Agriculture 15
ACRSI - Accomplishments Developed Data Standards in 4 business areas (cont d) : Crop/Commodity Production Standardized production data elements and definitions common and agency specific elements common units of measure common production evidence types Department of Agriculture 16
ACRSI - Accomplishments Publish and support the standards Created a data standard for acreage reporting Leveraged these data standards across USDA systems in the ACRSI Pilot Established multi-agency governance process to support program standards data standards Department of Agriculture 17
ACRSI - Accomplishments Conduct Pilot Programs as a proof of concept for controlled testing of: proposed data elements/data schema standards IT investments to share and leverage data across USDA systems in real time IT investments to support reporting of precision ag data Department of Agriculture 18
ACRSI Pilot Spring 2015 Consolidated acreage reporting for 2015 CY Spring crops* 30 counties in Illinois and Iowa Three reporting channel options Crop Insurance Agent FSA County Office Third-party upload capability All reporting channels used the same Pilot data schema Goal share reported data with the other channels *Alfalfa, corn, CRP, fallow, grass, oats, rye, soybeans, wheat Department of Agriculture 19
ACRSI Pilot Fall 2015 Pilot expanded to all counties in 15 States Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee No change to crop list, but for fall most acres are fallow or wheat Added automated status reporting and error handling capabilities Added service/help desk support Added weekly status update calls with Pilot State RMA Regional Offices and SEDs Department of Agriculture 20
Risk Management Agency Insuring Brassica carinata PM-15-037 For the 2016 crop year a new Special Provisions statement was added to all canola/rapeseed and mustard counties: Cultivars of Brassica carinata are eligible for insurance under the Canola and Rapeseed Crop Provisions and are not insurable under the Mustard Crop Provisions; however, Brassica carinata is only insurable by written agreement. Submit new TP requests by the 7/15 Acreage Reporting Date No canola in the county? Submit XC requests by the 3/15 Sales Closing Date 21
Risk Management Agency Thank You! Eric J. Bashore Billings Regional Office Director Risk Management Agency 22