Shaheen Urges USDA to Consider the Implications of Proposed Crop Insurance Policy Changes on Small, Independent New England Farmers

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) co-led a bicameral letter with Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency to take into consideration the concerns of New England growers regarding proposed changes to the apple crop insurance policy.

The lawmakers wrote, in part, “We write to express our concern with proposed changes to the Apple Crop Insurance Provisions that could adversely impact apple growers in New England. We appreciate the efforts of the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to support American farmers and update programs to reflect a changing risk landscape, yet we are concerned that small, independent growers in our region may not be served adequately by a ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

The letter can be read in full here.

Shaheen has long fought to support farmers in New Hampshire. Shaheen is a senior member of the Senate and works to address a number of New Hampshire priorities through the Farm Bill, which is reauthorized every five years, and funds agriculture and nutrition support programs. Shaheen has worked to include provisions in Farm Bill reauthorizations to bolster New Hampshire’s small and independent agricultural industries. In the 2023 Farm Bill, Shaheen is advocating for federal programs that support agricultural producers in New Hampshire. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaheen pushed the Department of Agriculture to help dairy farmers and the producers of specialty crops, which includes key New Hampshire products such as apples and maple syrup.  

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