Recently the USDA-Risk Management Agency (USDA-RMA) reduced their mandated number of crop samples per acre that had to be maintained for insurance appraisal under center pivot irrigation. These representative sample area (RSAs) reductions are important for minimizing the amount of water required to be pumped on crops affected by extreme environment conditions. 

“We appreciate RMA’s willingness to work with the Kansas Water Office, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and farmers and ranchers on a solution to conserve water in Kansas,” said Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman. “Water conservation is a priority for the state and this policy will encourage producers to be more efficient with their water while still allowing irrigation and access to critical risk management tools.”

This adjustment to USDA-RMA’s Loss Adjustment Manual (LAM) will allow for producers to more accurately determine and aggregate representative sample areas (RSAs) and conserve irrigated water, energy and operating costs when using center pivot irrigation systems.

"RMA has made great improvements to its process for providing an adequate crop sample under center-pivot irrigation,” said Tracy Streeter, Director of the Kansas Water Office. “This will allow producers to minimize the amount of water necessary to irrigate failed or damaged crops for insurance purposes."

For more information regarding changes with the RSAs when acreage is contained in a center pivot irrigation system visit: http://www.rma.usda.gov/bulletins/pm/2013/13-023.pdf .