7 CFR § 457.158 - Apple crop insurance provisions.
The apple crop insurance provisions for the 2011 and succeeding crop years are as follows:
Apple production. All fresh apple production and processing apple production from insurable acreage.
Area A. A geographic area that includes Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and all states west thereof.
Area B. A geographic area that includes all states not included in Area A, except Colorado.
Area C. Colorado.
Bin. A container that contains a minimum of 875 pounds of apples or another quantity as designated in the Special Provisions.
Box. A container that contains 35 pounds of apples or another quantity as designated in the Special Provisions.
Bushel. In all states except Colorado, 42 pounds of apples. In Colorado, 40 pounds of apples.
Damaged apple production.
(1) With respect to losses calculated under section 12 only, the percentage of fresh or processing apple production that fails to grade U.S. No. 1 Processing or better in accordance with the grade standards due to an insurable cause of loss; or
(2) With respect to losses calculated under section 14, the percentage of fresh apple production that fails to grade U.S. Fancy or better in accordance with the grade standards due to an insurable cause of loss.
Direct marketing. Sale of the insured crop directly to consumers without the intervention of an intermediary such as a wholesaler, retailer, packer, processor, shipper, buyer, or broker. Examples of direct marketing include selling through an on-farm or roadside stand, or a farmer's market, and permitting the general public to enter the field for the purpose of picking all or a portion of the crop.
Fresh apple production.
(1) Apples:
(i) That are sold, or could be sold, for human consumption without undergoing any change in the basic form, such as peeling, juicing, crushing, etc.;
(ii) From acreage that is designated as fresh apples on the acreage report;
(iii) That follow the recommended cultural practices generally in use for fresh apple acreage in the area in a manner generally recognized by agricultural experts; and
(iv) From acreage that you certify, and, if requested by us provide verifiable records to support, that at least 50 percent of the production from acreage reported as fresh apple acreage from each unit, was sold as fresh apples in one or more of the four most recent crop years.
(2) Acreage with production not meeting all the requirements above must be designated on the acreage report as processing apple production.
Grade standards. The United States Standards for Grades of Apples, the United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing, or such other standards contained in the Special Provisions.
Harvest. The picking of mature apples from the trees or collecting of mature apples from the ground. Apples collected from the ground that cannot be sold for human consumption will not be considered harvested.
Marketable. Apple production that is not damaged apple production.
Mature. Apples defined as “mature” under the applicable grade standards.
Pounds. Sixteen (16) ounces avoirdupois.
Processing apple production. Apples from insurable acreage failing to meet the insurability requirements for fresh apple production that are:
(1) Sold, or could be sold for the purpose of undergoing a change to the basic structure such as peeling, juicing, crushing, etc.; or
(2) From acreage designated as processing apples on the acreage report.
Production guarantee (per acre). The quantity of apples in boxes or bushels determined by multiplying the approved APH yield per acre by the coverage level percentage you elect. If the production of apples has been measured in bins, the amount must be converted to boxes or bushels.
Russeting. A defect on the surface of the apple as described in the grade standards.
Sunburn. A defect as described in the grade standards.
Type. A category of apples as designated in the Special Provisions.
In addition to the requirements of section 34(b) of the Basic Provisions, optional units may be established if each optional unit is:
(a) Located on non-contiguous land; or
(b) By type as specified in the Special Provisions.
In addition to the requirements of section 3 of the Basic Provisions:
(a) You may select only one coverage level for all fresh apple acreage and only one coverage level for all processing apple acreage. For example, if you choose the 55 percent coverage level for all your fresh apple acreage (i.e., fresh, varietal group types), you may choose the 75 percent coverage level for all your processing apple acreage. However, if you elect the Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) level of insurance for fresh apple acreage or processing apple acreage, the CAT level of coverage will be applicable to all insured apple acreage in the county. If you only have fresh apple acreage designated on your acreage report and processing apple acreage is added after the sales closing date, we will assign a coverage level equal to the coverage level you selected for your fresh apple acreage. If you only have processing apple acreage designated on your acreage report and fresh apple acreage is added after the sales closing date, we will assign a coverage level equal to the coverage level you selected for your processing apple acreage.
(b) You may select only one price election for all the apples in the county insured under this policy unless the Special Provisions provide different price elections by type, in which case you may select one price election for each apple type designated in the Special Provisions. The price elections you choose for each type must have the same percentage relationship to the maximum price offered by us for each type. For example, if you choose 100 percent of the maximum price election for one type, you must also choose 100 percent of the maximum price election for all other types.
(c) You must report, by the production reporting date designated in section 3 of the Basic Provisions, by type, if applicable:
(1) Any event or action that could impact the yield potential of the insured crop including interplanted perennial crop, removal of trees, any damage, change in practices, or any other circumstance that may reduce the expected yield upon which the insurance guarantee is based, and the number of affected acres;
(2) The number of bearing trees on insurable and uninsurable acreage;
(3) The age of the trees and the planting pattern; and
(4) For the first year of insurance for acreage interplanted with another perennial crop, and any time the planting pattern of such acreage has changed:
(i) The age and type of the interplanted crop, if applicable;
(ii) The planting pattern; and
(iii) Any other information that we request in order to establish your approved yield.
(d) We will reduce the yield used to establish your production guarantee, as necessary, based on our estimate of the effect of any situation listed in sections 3(c)(1) through (c)(4). If the situation occurred:
(1) Before the beginning of the insurance period, the yield used to establish your production guarantee will be reduced for the current crop year regardless of whether the situation was due to an insured or uninsured cause of loss. If you fail to notify us of any circumstance that may reduce your yields from previous levels, we will reduce the yield used to establish your production guarantee at any time we become aware of the circumstance;
(2) Or may occur after the beginning of the insurance period and you notify us by the production reporting date, the yield used to establish your production guarantee will be reduced for the current crop year only if the potential reduction in the yield used to establish your production guarantee is due to an uninsured cause of loss; or
(3) Or may occur after the beginning of the insurance period and you fail to notify us by the production reporting date, production lost due to uninsured causes equal to the amount of the reduction in the yield used to establish your production guarantee will be applied in determining any indemnity (see section 12(c)(1)(ii)). We will reduce the yield used to establish your production guarantee for the subsequent crop year.
In accordance with section 4 of the Basic Provisions, the contract change date is October 31 preceding the cancellation date for California and August 31 preceding the cancellation date for all other states.
(a) In accordance with section 2 of the Basic Provisions, the cancellation and termination dates are January 31 in California and November 20 in all other states.
(b) If, in accordance with the terms of the policy, your apple policy is canceled or terminated by us for any crop year after insurance attached for that crop year, but on or before the cancellation and termination dates, whichever is later, insurance will be considered not to have attached for that crop year and no premium, administrative fee, or indemnity will be due for such crop year.
(c) We may not cancel your policy when an insured cause of loss has occurred after insurance attached, but prior to the cancellation date. However, your policy can be terminated if a cause for termination contained in sections 2 or 27 of the Basic Provisions exists.
In addition to the requirements contained in section 6 of the Basic Provisions, you must report and designate all acreage by type by the acreage reporting date. Any acreage not qualifying for fresh apple production is not eligible for the Optional Coverage for Fresh Fruit Quality Adjustment option contained in section 14 of these Crop Provisions. If you designate fresh apple acreage on the acreage report, you are certifying at least 50 percent of the production from acreage reported as fresh apple acreage, by unit, was sold as fresh apples in one or more of the four most recent crop years in accordance with the definition of “fresh apple production” and that you have the records to support such production.
In accordance with section 8 of the Basic Provisions, the crop insured will be all apples in the county for which a premium rate is provided by the actuarial table:
(a) In which you have a share;
(b) That are grown on tree varieties that are adapted to the area and have, in at least one of the previous four years, produced:
(1) 10 bins of apples per acre in Area A;
(2) 150 bushels of apples per acre in Area B; or
(3) 200 bushels of apples per acre in Area C;
(c) That are grown in an orchard that, if inspected, is considered acceptable by us; and
(d) That are grown for:
(1) Fresh apple production; or
(2) Processing apple production.
In lieu of the provisions in section 9 of the Basic Provisions that prohibit insurance from attaching to a crop planted with another crop, apples interplanted with another perennial crop are insurable unless we inspect the acreage and determine that it does not meet the requirements contained in your policy.
(a) In accordance with the provisions of section 11 of the Basic Provisions:
(1) For the year of application, coverage begins on February 1 of the calendar year the insured crop normally blooms in California and November 21 of the calendar year prior to the calendar year the insured crop normally blooms in all other States. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, if your application is received by us after January 12 but prior to February 1 in California, or after November 1 but prior to November 21 in all other States, insurance will attach on the 20th day after your properly completed application is received in our local office, unless we inspect the acreage during the 20-day period and determine that it does not meet insurability requirements. You must provide any information that we require for the crop or to determine the condition of the apple acreage.
(2) For each subsequent crop year that the policy remains continuously in force, coverage begins on the day immediately following the end of the insurance period for the prior crop year. Policy cancellation that results solely from transferring an existing policy to a different insurance provider for a subsequent crop year will not be considered a break in continuous coverage.
(3) The calendar date for the end of the insurance period for each crop year is November 5, or such other date as specified in the Special Provisions.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions in this section, coverage will not be considered to have begun for a crop year if the policy is canceled or terminated in accordance with section 5(b).
(b) In addition to the provisions of section 11 of the Basic Provisions:
(1) If you acquire an insurable share in any insurable acreage after coverage begins but on or before the acreage reporting date for the crop year, and after an inspection we consider the acreage acceptable, insurance will be considered to have attached to such acreage on the calendar date for the beginning of the insurance period. There will be no coverage of any insurable interest acquired after the acreage reporting date.
(2) If you relinquish your insurable share on any insurable acreage of apples on or before the acreage reporting date for the crop year, insurance will not be considered to have attached to, and no premium or indemnity will be due for such acreage for that crop year unless:
(i) A transfer of coverage and right to an indemnity, or a similar form approved by us, is completed by all affected parties;
(ii) We are notified by you or the transferee in writing of such transfer on or before the acreage reporting date; and
(iii) The transferee is eligible for crop insurance.
(3) If you relinquish your insurable share on any insurable acreage of apples after the acreage reporting date for the crop year, insurance coverage will be provided for any loss due to an insurable cause of loss that occurred prior to the date that you relinquished your insurable share and the whole premium will be due for such acreage for that crop year.
(a) In accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the Basic Provisions, insurance is provided only against the following causes of loss that occur during the insurance period and result in damaged apple production:
(1) Adverse weather conditions;
(2) Fire unless weeds and other forms of undergrowth have not been controlled or pruning debris has not been removed from the orchard;
(3) Insects, but not damage due to insufficient or improper application of pest control measures;
(4) Plant disease, but not damage due to insufficient or improper application of disease control measures;
(5) Earthquake;
(6) Volcanic eruption;
(7) Failure of the irrigation water supply, if caused by an insured peril that occurs during the insurance period;
(8) Wildlife; and
(9) All other natural causes of loss that cannot be prevented, including, but not limited to, hail, wind, excess sun causing sunburn, and frost and freeze causing russeting.
(b) In addition to the causes of loss excluded in section 12 of the Basic Provisions, we will not insure against damage or loss of production due to your inability to market the apples for any reason other than actual physical damage from an insurable cause specified in this section. For example, we will not pay you an indemnity if you are unable to market due to quarantine, boycott, or refusal of any person to accept production.
(a) In accordance with the requirements of section 14 of the Basic Provisions, you must leave representative samples in accordance with our procedures.
(b) In addition to the requirements of section 14 of the Basic Provisions, the following will apply:
(1) You must notify us at least 3 days prior to the date harvest should have started if the crop will not be harvested.
(2) You must notify us at least 15 days before any production from any unit will be sold by direct marketing. We will conduct an appraisal that will be used to determine your production to count for production that is sold by direct marketing. If damage occurs after this appraisal, we will conduct an additional appraisal. These appraisals, and any acceptable records provided by you, will be used to determine your production to count. Failure to give timely notice that production will be sold by direct marketing will result in an appraised amount of production to count of not less than the production guarantee per acre if such failure results in our inability to make the required appraisal.
(3) If you intend to claim an indemnity on any unit, you must notify us at least 15 days prior to the beginning of harvest, or immediately if damage is discovered during harvest. You must not sell or dispose of the damaged crop until after we have given you written consent to do so. If you fail to meet the requirements of this section and such failure results in our inability to inspect the damaged production, all such production will be considered undamaged and included as production to count.
(a) We will determine your loss on a unit basis. In the event you are unable to provide separate acceptable production records:
(1) For any optional unit, we will combine all optional units for which such production records were not provided; or
(2) For any basic unit, we will allocate any commingled production to such units in proportion to our liability on the harvested acreage for the units.
(b) In the event of loss or damage covered by this policy, we will settle your claim on any unit by:
(1) Multiplying the insured acreage by its respective production guarantee, by type as applicable;
(2) Multiplying each result in section 12(b)(1) by the respective price election and by the percent of price election;
(3) Totaling the results in section 12(b)(2) if there are more than one type;
(4) Multiplying the total production to count (see section 12(c)), for each type as applicable, by the respective price election and by the percent of price election;
(5) Totaling the results in section 12(b)(4), if there are more than one type;
(6) Subtracting the total in section 12(b)(5) from the total in section 12(b)(3); and
(7) Multiplying the result in section 12(b)(6) by your share.
Basic Coverage Example:
You have a 100 percent share in one basic unit with 10 acres of fresh apples and 5 acres of processing apples designated on your acreage report, with a 600 bushel per acre production guarantee for both fresh and processing apples, and you select 100 percent of the price election on a price election of $9.10 per bushel for fresh apples and $2.50 per bushel for processing apples. You harvest 5,000 bushels of fresh apples and 1,000 bushels of processing apples, all grading U.S. No. 1 Processing or better. Your indemnity will be calculated as follows:
A. 10 acres × 600 bushels = 6,000-bushel production guarantee of fresh apples;
5 acres × 600 bushels = 3,000-bushel production guarantee of processing apples;
B. 6,000-bushel production guarantee × $9.10 price election × 100 percent of price election = $54,600 value of production guarantee for fresh apples;
3,000-bushel production guarantee × $2.50 price election × 100 percent of price election = $7,500 value of production guarantee for processing apples;
C. $54,600 value of production guarantee for fresh apples + $7,500 value of production guarantee for processing apples = $62,100.00 total value of the production guarantee;
D. 5,000 bushels of fresh apple production to count × $9.10 price election × 100 percent of price election = $45,500 value of fresh apple production to count;
1,000 bushels of processing apple production to count × $2.50 price election × 100 percent of price election = $2,500 value of processing apple production to count;
E. $45,500 value of fresh apple production to count + $2,500 value of processing apple production to count = $48,000 total value of production to count;
F. $62,100 total value of the production guarantee − $48,000 total value of production to count = $14,100.00 value of loss; and
G. $14,100 value of loss × 100 percent share = $14,100 indemnity payment.
(c) The total production to count (in boxes or bushels) from all insurable acreage on the unit will include:
(1) All appraised production as follows:
(i) Not less than the production guarantee per acre for acreage:
(A) That is abandoned;
(B) That is sold by direct marketing if you fail to meet the requirements contained in section 11;
(C) That is damaged solely by uninsured causes; or
(D) For which you fail to provide production records that are acceptable to us;
(ii) Production lost due to uninsured causes;
(iii) Unharvested apple production that would be marketable if harvested; and
(iv) Potential marketable apple production on insured acreage that you intend to abandon or no longer care for, if you and we agree on the appraised amount of production. Upon such agreement, the insurance period for that acreage will end. If you do not agree with our appraisal, we may defer the claim only if you agree to continue to care for the crop. We will then make another appraisal when you notify us of further damage or that harvest is general in the area unless you harvested the crop, in which case we will use the harvested production. If you do not continue to care for the crop, our appraisal made prior to deferring the claim will be used to determine the production to count; and
(2) All harvested marketable production from the insurable acreage.
(d) Any apple production not graded or appraised prior to the earlier of the time apples are placed in storage or the date the apples are delivered to a packer, processor, or other handler will not be considered damaged apple production and will be considered production to count.
The late and prevented planting provisions of the Basic Provisions are not applicable.
(a) In the event of a conflict between the Apple Crop Insurance Provisions and this option, this option will control. Insureds who select this option cannot receive less than the indemnity due under section 12.
(b) In return for payment of the additional premium designated in the actuarial documents, this option provides for quality adjustment of fresh apple production as follows:
(1) To be eligible for this option, you must have elected to insure your apples at the additional coverage level. If you elect Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) after this option is effective, it will be considered as notice of cancellation of this option by you.
(2) You must elect this option on or before the sales closing date for the initial crop year for which you wish to insure your apples under this option. This option will continue in effect until canceled by either you or us for any succeeding crop year by written notice to the other party on or before the cancellation date.
(3) This option will apply to all your apple acreage designated in your acreage report as grown for fresh apple production and that meets the insurability requirements specified in the Apple Crop Insurance Provisions, except any acreage specifically excluded by the actuarial documents. Any acreage designated in your acreage report as grown for processing apple production is not eligible for coverage under this option.
(4) In lieu of sections 12(c)(1)(iii), (iv) and (2), the production to count will include all appraised and harvested production from all of the fresh apple acreage in the unit, adjusted in accordance with this option.
(5) If appraised or harvested fresh apple production for the block or unit, as applicable, is damaged to the extent that more than 20 percent of the apple production does not grade U.S. Fancy or better the following adjustments to the production to count will apply:
(i) Fresh apple production to count with 21 percent through 40 percent damaged apple production will be reduced 2 percent for each full one percent in excess of 20 percent.
(ii) Fresh apple production to count with 41 percent through 50 percent damaged apple production will be reduced 40 percent plus an additional 3 percent for each full one percent in excess of 40 percent.
(iii) Fresh apple production to count with 51 percent through 64 percent damaged apple production will be reduced 70 percent plus an additional 2 percent for each full one percent in excess of 50 percent.
(iv) Fresh apple production to count with 65 percent or more damaged apple production will not be considered production to count.
(v) Notwithstanding sections 14(b)(5)(i) through (iv), if you sell any of your fresh apple production as U.S. Fancy or better, all such sold production will be included as production to count under this option.
(c) Any apple production not graded or appraised prior to the earlier of the time apples are placed in storage or the date the apples are delivered to a packer, processor, or other handler will not be considered damaged apple production and will be considered production to count under this option.
(d) Any adjustments that reduce your production to count under this option will not be applicable when determining production to count for APH purposes.
You have a 100 percent share in 10 acres of fresh apples designated on your acreage report, with a 600 bushel per acre guarantee, and you select 100 percent of the price election on a price election of $9.10 per bushel. You harvest 5,000 bushels of apples from your designated fresh apple acreage, but only 2,650 of those bushels grade U.S. Fancy or better. Assuming you do not sell any of your fresh apple production as U.S. Fancy or better, your indemnity would be calculated as follows:
A. 10 acres × 600 bushels per acre = 6,000-bushel production guarantee of fresh apples;
B. 6,000-bushel production guarantee of fresh apples × $9.10 price election × 100 percent of price election = $54,600 value of production guarantee for fresh apple acreage;
C. The value of the fresh apple production to count is determined as follows:
i. 5,000 bushels harvested − 2,650 bushels that graded U.S. Fancy or better = 2,350 bushels of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better;
ii. 2,350/5,000 = 47 percent of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better;
iii. In accordance with section 14(b)(5)(ii): 47 percent − 40 percent = 7 percent in excess of 40 percent;
iv. 7 percent × 3 = 21 percent;
v. 40 percent + 21 percent = 61 percent;
vi. 5,000 bushels harvested × .61 (61 percent) = 3,050 bushels of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better;
vii. 5,000 bushels harvested − 3,050 bushels of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better = 1,950 bushels of adjusted fresh apple production to count;
viii. 1,950 bushels of adjusted fresh apples production to count × $9.10 price election × 100 percent of price election = $17,745 value of fresh apple production to count;
D. $54,600 value of production guarantee for fresh apples − $17,745 value of fresh apple production to count = $36,855 value of loss;
E. $36,855 value of loss × 100 percent share = $36,855 indemnity payment.