Partnership and Cooperative Agreements Announced

Today, the Federal Crop Insurance Cooperation (FCIC), operated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency (RMA), announced the availability of approximately $1.1 million for commodity partnerships for small agricultural risk management education sessions and approximately $5 million to fund cooperative agreements under the crop insurance education in targeted states program. RMA annually announces the availability of these funds.

All applications must be received by close of business on April 27, 2010. All applications must be electronic; hard copy applications will not be accepted.

The purpose of the small agricultural risk management education sessions is to deliver training and information in management of production, marketing and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under federal crop insurance, specialty corps and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage.

A maximum of 110 agreements will be funded with a minimum of 10 in each of the 10 designated RMA regions. The maximum award for the small education sessions will be $10,000.

The states served by the funds for cooperative agreements under the crop insurance education in targeted states include Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. The purpose of these funds is to deliver crop insurance education and information to U.S. agricultural producers in these certain states that have been designated as historically underserved with respect to crop insurance.

Multiple agreements will be funded not to exceed the maximum funding amount established for each of the 16 target states.

An application kit, which includes a checklist, instructions, samples, templates and all required forms, is available at www.rma.usda.gov/aboutrma/agreements/.