Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Crop insurance is made available by the USDA Risk Management Agency on a county-by-county and crop-by-crop basis.  Insurance is available for eighteen different crops in New Jersey.  Crop insurance protects the policy holder against either yield or revenue losses that are the result of specific weather-related or other natural events. The Federal government subsidizes most premiums.

Whole-Farm Revenue Protection provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy (Whole-Farm Revenue Protection Fact Sheet).

The Micro Farm Program also provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on your farm under one insurance policy, however, it is tailored for any farm with up to $350,000 in approved revenue, including farms with specialty or organic commodities (both crops and livestock), or those marketing to local, regional, farm-identity preserved, specialty, or direct markets (Micro Farm Program Fact Sheet).

The Shellfish Program provides a yield based, Actual Production History product for containerized oysters commercially produced for the half-shell market. It provides coverage for the expected production of oysters that will be harvested in the current crop year. Producers may elect to increase their insurable price above the published price election if producers provide individual verifiable sales information that supports a higher price election. More information here: Aquaculture (Shellfish, Oysters, Clams, WFRP).

The sales closing dates vary by crop and type of coverage. It is recommended that you contact an agent well in advance of the deadline, to ensure time to gather documentation (Agent Locator | Risk Management Agency).

Please be aware of these deadlines for New Jersey:

• Potatoes – January 31
• Green peas – February 15
• Spring-planted forage seeding – March 15
• Cabbage, corn, sweet corn, grain sorghum, green peas, oats, processing beans, processing sweet corn, processing tomatoes, soybeans – March 15
• Whole Farm Revenue & Micro Farm – March 15
• Livestock Risk, Livestock Gross Margin, Dairy Revenue – April 15
• Aquaculture (oysters) – April 30
• Nursery and greenhouse – May 1
• Fall-planted forage seeding – July 31
• Fall-planted barley and wheat – September 30
• Forage production – September 30
• Apples, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, peaches – November 20
• Aquaculture (clams) – November 30
• Apiculture – December 1
• Pasture, Rangeland, Forage – December 1 

For crops where there is no crop insurance, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters. This program is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency, with offices in many counties across the state.

New Jersey Office of Emergency Management | ReadyNJ

New Jersey Animal Emergency

John Denlinger
New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Division of Marketing and Development
john.denlinger@ag.nj.gov
(609) 913-6508