Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Introduction of the trend-adjusted crop insurance program

Introduction of the trend-adjusted crop insurance program PurposeRecently, USDA-RMA introduced a Trend Adjusted-Actual Production History (TA-APH) program, which increases APH by a trend factor to cover yield changes over time. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the TA-APH program on farmer participation, coverage election, and risk by analyzing data before and after the program.Design/methodology/approachSince the program was carried out in selected counties, the authors employ a difference in differences approach doing comparisons of insurance participation and coverage levels between eligible and ineligible counties.FindingsThe authors find that farmers within the counties where the TA-APH program was available experienced an increase in insured acres of 3 percent for corn and 5 percent for soybeans. The authors also find the farmers eligible for the program purchased lower coverage levels relative to those not eligible. However, the magnitude of that negative effect is relatively small, −0.9 percent in corn and −1.3 percent in soybeans. Collectively the evidence shows the TA-APH program does increase the guaranteed yield level mitigating farmer risk.Research limitations/implicationsThe data set used only permitted analysis at the county level, thus the authors could not look at the individual farmer choices.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that if a greater level of farmer risk protection is desired from crop insurance, the authors find that the trend adjustment as implemented was a successful way to achieve this.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on the crop insurance by evaluating the program controlling for a non-participating groups, farming experience, liability rates, and subsidy rates. In doing this, it fulfills an identified need to study the actual impact on participation rates and coverage levels elected. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agricultural Finance Review Emerald Publishing

Introduction of the trend-adjusted crop insurance program

Download PDF
17 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/introduction-of-the-trend-adjusted-crop-insurance-program-cfD0WyPGYx
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0002-1466
DOI
10.1108/AFR-07-2016-0065
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

PurposeRecently, USDA-RMA introduced a Trend Adjusted-Actual Production History (TA-APH) program, which increases APH by a trend factor to cover yield changes over time. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the TA-APH program on farmer participation, coverage election, and risk by analyzing data before and after the program.Design/methodology/approachSince the program was carried out in selected counties, the authors employ a difference in differences approach doing comparisons of insurance participation and coverage levels between eligible and ineligible counties.FindingsThe authors find that farmers within the counties where the TA-APH program was available experienced an increase in insured acres of 3 percent for corn and 5 percent for soybeans. The authors also find the farmers eligible for the program purchased lower coverage levels relative to those not eligible. However, the magnitude of that negative effect is relatively small, −0.9 percent in corn and −1.3 percent in soybeans. Collectively the evidence shows the TA-APH program does increase the guaranteed yield level mitigating farmer risk.Research limitations/implicationsThe data set used only permitted analysis at the county level, thus the authors could not look at the individual farmer choices.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that if a greater level of farmer risk protection is desired from crop insurance, the authors find that the trend adjustment as implemented was a successful way to achieve this.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on the crop insurance by evaluating the program controlling for a non-participating groups, farming experience, liability rates, and subsidy rates. In doing this, it fulfills an identified need to study the actual impact on participation rates and coverage levels elected.

Journal

Agricultural Finance Review – Emerald Publishing

Published: Sep 4, 2017

References

  • Evaluation of crop insurance yield guarantees and producer welfare with upward-trending yields
  • Influence of the premium subsidy on farmers’ crop insurance coverage decisions
  • How much should we trust differences-in-differences estimates?
  • Alternative approaches to evaluation in empirical microeconomics
  • Minimum wages and employment: a case study of the fast-food industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
  • Insurability and moral hazard in agricultural insurance markets