Crop Insurance: ‘We’ve Got a Long Way to Go’

christian spinoza

Grower Christian Spinoza of Dudley Putnam, Inc. was among about 30 people who heard proposed federal crop insurance changes at a recent “listening session” in Bartow, Florida. He shared some of his thoughts.

“We’ve got to have some kind of change to our crop insurance, but we’ve got to make sure it’s the right change … one we’re not going to be coming back and changing in six or seven years,” Spinoza said. “I don’t know what the right one is, but I think we’ve got a long way to go to tweak it and make it work. I think we’ve got to make sure we get something that works for everybody. Some of that stuff we talked about might work for some and doesn’t work for others.”

Spinoza said growers need to ensure they get the cost of the insurance right. He agreed with some who said one part of the problem with current coverage is that it doesn’t pay for bloom damage.

The session Spinoza attended was conducted primarily by Florida Citrus Mutual consultant AgriLogic Consulting. The proposed new program being discussed would have to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which subsidizes federal crop insurance. Mutual and its consultant are hoping the new program will be implemented for the 2020–21 citrus season.

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About the Author

Ernie Neff

Senior Correspondent at Large