§ 457.135 - Onion crop insurance provisions.

§ 457.135 Onion crop insurance provisions.

The Onion Crop Insurance Provisions for the 2023 and succeeding crop years are as follows:

FCIC Policies

United States Department of Agriculture

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation

Reinsured Policies

(Appropriate title for insurance provider)

Both FCIC and reinsured policies:

Onion Crop Provisions

1. Definitions

Damaged onion production. Storage type onions that do not grade U.S. No. 1 or do not satisfy any other standards that may be contained in the Special Provisions; or non-storage type onions which do not satisfy standards contained in any applicable marketing order or other standards that may be contained in the Special Provisions.

Direct seeded. Onions planted by placing onion seed by machine or by hand at the correct depth, into a seedbed that has been properly prepared for the planting method and production practice.

Harvest. Removal of the onions from the field after topping and lifting or digging.

Hundredweight. 100 pounds avoirdupois.

Lifting or digging. A pre-harvest process in which the onion roots are severed from the soil and the onion bulbs laid on the surface of the soil for drying in the field.

Non-storage onions. Onions of a Bermuda, Granex, or Grano variety, or hybrids developed from these varieties, that are harvested as a bulb and dried only a short time, and consequently have a higher moisture content. They are thinner skinned, contain a higher sugar content, and are milder in flavor than storage onions. Due to a higher moisture and sugar content, they are subject to deterioration both on the surface and internally if not used shortly after harvest.

Onion production. Onions of recoverable size and condition, with excess dirt and foliage material removed and that are not considered damaged onion production.

Planted acreage. In addition to the definition contained in the Basic Provisions, onions, including sets, must be direct seeded in rows or transplanted in rows.

Processor. Any business enterprise regularly engaged in buying and processing onions, that possesses all licenses and permits for processing onions required by the State in which it operates, and that possesses facilities, or has contractual access to such facilities, with enough equipment to accept and process contracted onions within a reasonable amount of time after harvest.

Processor contract. A written agreement between the producer and a processor, containing at a minimum:

(a) The producer's commitment to plant and grow onions of the types designated in the Special Provisions and to deliver the onion production to the processor;

(b) The processor's commitment to purchase all the production from a specified number of acres or the specified quantity of onion production stated in the processor contract; and

(c) The price that will be paid for the production.

Production guarantee (per acre). In lieu of the definition contained in section 1 of the Basic Provisions, the production guarantee will be determined by stage as follows:

(a) First stage production guarantee - Forty-five percent (45%) of the final stage production guarantee for direct seeded and transplanted storage and non-storage onions, unless otherwise specified in the Special Provisions.

(b) Second stage production guarantee - Seventy percent (70%) of the final stage production guarantee for direct seeded storage onions and 60 percent (60%) of the final stage production guarantee for transplanted storage onions and all non-storage onions, unless otherwise specified in the Special Provisions.

(c) Final stage production guarantee - The quantity of onions (in hundredweight) determined by multiplying the approved yield per acre by the coverage level percentage you elect.

Sets. Onion bulbs that are planted by hand or by machine.

Storage onions. Onions, other than a Bermuda, Granex, or Grano variety, or hybrids developed from these varieties, that are harvested as a bulb and dried to a lower moisture content, are firmer, have more outer layers of paper-like skin, and are darker in color than non-storage onions. They are more pungent, have a lower sugar content, and can be stored for several months under proper conditions prior to use without deterioration.

Topping. A pre-harvest process to initiate curing, in which onion foliage is removed or broken.

Transplanted. Onions planted by placing of the onion plant or sets, by machine or by hand at the correct depth, into a seedbed that has been properly prepared for the planting method and production practice.

2. Unit Division

In addition to the requirements of section 34 of the Basic Provisions, optional units may be established by type, if separate types are designated in the Special Provisions.

3. Insurance Guarantees, Coverage Levels, and Prices

(a) In addition to the requirements of section 3 of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), you may select only one price election for all the onions in the county insured under this policy unless the actuarial documents provide different price elections by type, in which case you may select one price election for each onion type designated in the actuarial documentsSpecial Provisions. The price elections you choose for each type must have the same percentage relationship to the maximum price offered by us for each type. For example, if you choose 100 percent of the maximum price election for one type, you must also choose 100 percent of the maximum price election for all other types.

(b) Your production guarantee progresses, in stages, to the final stage production guarantee. Stages will be determined on an acre basis. At least 75 percent (75%) of the plants on such acreage must be at the same stage to qualify for the first and second stages. The stages are as follows:

(1) First stage extends:

(i) For direct seeded storage and non-storage onions, from planting until the emergence of the fourth leaf; and

(ii) For transplanted storage and non-storage onions, from transplanting of onion plants or sets through the 30th day after transplanting.

(2) Second stage extends:

(i) For direct seeded storage and non-storage onions, from the emergence of the fourth leaf until eligible for the final stage; and

(ii) For transplanted storage and non-storage onions, from the 31st day after transplanting of onion plants or sets until eligible for the final stage.

(3) Final stage extends from the completion of topping and lifting or digging on the acreage until the end of the insurance period.

(c) Any acreage of onions damaged in the first or second stage, to the extent that the majority of producers in the area would not normally further care for the onions, will have a production guarantee for indemnity purposes, based on the stage in which the damage occurred, even if you continue to care for the damaged onions.

4. Contract Changes

In accordance with section 4 of the Basic Provisions, the contract change date is:

(a) June 30 preceding the cancellation date for counties with an August 31, September 30, or November 30 cancellation date;

(b) November 30 preceding the cancellation date for counties with a February 1 cancellation date; or

(c) As designated in the Special Provisions.

5. Cancellation and Termination Dates

In accordance with section 2 of the Basic Provisions, the cancellation and termination dates are as follows, unless otherwise designated in the Special Provisions:

State & county	Cancellation date	Termination date
Arizona; Georgia; Uvalde County, Texas, and all Texas Counties lying south thereof	August 31	August 31.
Umatilla County, Oregon; and Walla Walla County, Washington	August 31	September 30.
All California Counties, except Lassen, Modoc, and Shasta	September 30	September 30.
All other states and counties	February 1	February 1.

6. Report of Acreage

In addition to the provisions of section 6 of the Basic Provisions, if the Special Provisions require a processor contract to insure your onions, you must provide a copy of all your processor contracts to us on or before the acreage reporting date.

7. Annual Premium

In lieu of the provisions of section 7(c) of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), the annual premium amount is computed by multiplying the final stage production guarantee by the price election, the premium rate, the insured acreage, your share at the time of planting, and any applicable premium adjustment factors contained in the actuarial documents.

8. Insured Crop

In accordance with section 8 of the Basic Provisions, the crop insured will be all the storage and non-storage onions (excluding green (bunch) or seed onions, chives, garlic, leeks, shallots, and scallions) in the county for which a premium rate is provided by the actuarial documents:

(a) In which you have a share;

(b) That are planted for harvest as either storage onions or non-storage onions;

(c) That are not (unless allowed by the Special Provisions or by written agreement):

(1) Interplanted with another crop, unless the onions are interplanted with a windbreak crop and the windbreak crop is destroyed within 70 days after completion of seeding or transplanting; or

(2) Planted into an established grass or legume.

9. Insurable Acreage

In addition to the provisions of section 9 of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), we will not insure any acreage of the insured crop that:

(a) Was planted the previous year to storage or non-storage onions, green (bunch) onions, seed onions, chives, garlic, leeks, shallots, or scallions unless different rotation requirements are designated in the Special Provisions or a written agreement insures such acreage; or

(b) Is damaged before the final planting date to the extent that the majority of producers in the area would normally not further care for the crop and is not replanted, unless we agree that it is not practical to replant.

10. Insurance Period

(a) In accordance with the provisions of section 11 of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), the acreage must be planted on or before the final planting date designated in the Special Provisions except as allowed in section 16 of the Basic Provisions.

(b) In accordance with the provisions of section 11 of the Basic Provisions, unless otherwise designated in the Special Provisions, the insurance period ends at the earliest of:

(1) The calendar date for the end of the insurance period as follows:

(i) May 20 for 1015 Super Sweets, and any other non-storage onions in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties, Texas;

(ii) June 1 for Vidalia, and any other non-storage onions planted in the state of Georgia;

(iii) June 30 for all storage and non-storage onions in Arizona;

(iv) July 15 for 1015 Super Sweets, and any other non-storage onions for all Texas counties except Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy;

(v) July 31 for fall planted non-storage onions in Oregon and Washington;

(vi) August 31 for all non-storage onions not otherwise specified; and

(vii) October 15 for all storage onions not otherwise specified; or

(2) In addition to the requirements of section 11(b) of the Basic Provisions, fourteen days after lifting or digging.

11. Causes of Loss

(a) In accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), insurance is provided only against the following causes of loss that occur within the insurance period:

(1) Adverse weather conditions;

(2) Fire;

(3) Insects, but not damage due to insufficient or improper application of pest control measures;

(4) Plant disease, but not damage due to insufficient or improper application of disease control measures;

(5) Wildlife, unless control measures have not been taken;

(6) Earthquake;

(7) Volcanic eruption; or

(8) Failure of the irrigation water supply, if caused by an insured peril that occurs during the insurance period.

(b) In addition to the causes of loss not insured against as listed in section 12 of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), we will not insure against any loss of production due to damage that occurs or becomes evident after the end of the insurance period, including, but not limited to, loss of production that occurs after onions have been placed in storage.

12. Replanting Payment

(a) In accordance with section 13 of the Basic Provisions (§ 457.8), a replanting payment is allowed if the crop is damaged by an insurable cause of loss to the extent that the remaining stand will not produce at least 90 percent of the final stage production guarantee for the acreage and we determine that it is practical to replant.

(b) The maximum amount of the replanting payment per acre will be your actual cost for replanting, but will not exceed the lesser of:

(1) 7 percent of the final stage production guarantee multiplied by your price election for the type originally planted and by your insured share; or

(2) 18 hundredweight multiplied by your price election for the type originally planted and by your insured share.

(c) When onions are replanted using a practice that is uninsurable as an original planting, the liability for the unit will be reduced by the amount of the replanting payment. The premium amount will not be reduced.

13. Duties in the Event of Damage or Loss

(a) In accordance with the requirements of section 14 of the Basic Provisions, any representative samples of the crop that may be required must be at least 10 feet wide and extend the entire length of each field in the unit. The samples must not be topped, lifted, dug, harvested or destroyed until the earlier of our inspection or 15 days after harvest of the balance of the unit is completed.

(b) If any portion of your crop will be direct marketed, you must notify us at least 15 calendar days before any production will be harvested. We will conduct an appraisal that will be used to determine your production to count for production that is sold by direct marketing. If damage occurs after this appraisal, we will conduct an additional appraisal. These appraisals, and any acceptable records provided by you, will be used to determine your production to count. Failure to give timely notice that production will be harvested for direct marketing will result in an appraised amount of production to count that is not less than the production guarantee per acre if such failure results in our inability to make the required appraisal.

14. Settlement of Claim

(a) We will determine your loss on a unit basis. In the event you are unable to provide production records:

(1) For any optional units, we will combine all optional units for which acceptable production records were not provided; or

(2) For any basic units, we will allocate any commingled production to such units in proportion to our liability on the harvested acreage for the units.

(b) In the event of loss or damage covered by this policy, we will settle your claim by:

(1) Multiplying the insured acreage by its respective production guarantee;

(2) Multiplying each result of section 14(b)(1) by the respective price election;

(3) Totaling the results in section 14(b)(2);

(4) Multiplying the total production to be counted (see section 14(c)) by the respective price elections you chose;

(5) Totaling the results of section 14(b)(4);

(6) Subtracting the result in section 14(b)(5) from the result in 14(b)(3); and

(7) Multiplying the result in section 14(b)(6) by your share.

For Example:

You have a 100 percent share in 100 acres of a unit of transplanted storage onions with a production guarantee of 200 hundredweight per acre, and you select 100 percent of the price election of $20.00 per hundredweight. Your crop suffers a covered cause of loss on 25 acres during the second stage which has a second stage production guarantee of 60 percent of the final stage production guarantee which equals 120 hundredweight per acre. The appraised production on the 25 acres was 2,500 hundredweight of onion production. Your harvested onion production on the remaining 75 acres is 16,000 hundredweight of harvested production to count. Your indemnity will be calculated as follows:

(1) 25 acres × 120 hundredweight (200 × .60) second stage production guarantee = 3,000 hundredweight, and 75 acres × 200 hundredweight final stage production guarantee = 15,000 hundredweight;

(2) 3,000 hundredweight second stage production guarantee × $20.00 price election = $60,000 value of second stage production guarantee, and 15,000 hundredweight final stage production guarantee × $20.00 price election = $300,000 value of final stage production guarantee;

(3) $60,000 value of second stage production guarantee + $300,000 value of final stage production guarantee = $360,000 total value of production guarantee;

(4) 500 hundredweight second stage production to count (from step 4 of the section 14(c)(1)(iv) example) × $20.00 price election = $10,000 value of second stage production to count, and 16,000 hundredweight final stage production to count × $20.00 price election = $320,000 value of final stage production to count;

(5) $10,000 value of second stage production to count + $320,000 value of final stage production to count = $330,000 total value of production to count;

(6) $360,000 total value of production guarantee − $330,000 total value of production to count = $30,000 value of loss; and

(7) $30,000 × 100 percent share = $30,000 indemnity payment.

(c) The total production (in hundredweight) to count from all insurable acreage on the unit will include:

(1) All appraised production as follows:

(i) Not less than the production guarantee for acreage:

(A) That is abandoned;

(B) That is direct marketed to consumers if you fail to meet the requirements contained in section 13;

(C) Put to another use without our consent;

(D) That is damaged solely by uninsured causes; or

(E) For which you fail to provide production records that are acceptable to us;

(ii) Production lost due to uninsured causes;

(iii) Unharvested onion production (mature unharvested production may be adjusted based on the percent of damaged onion production in accordance with section 14(d));

(iv) For acreage that does not qualify for the final stage production guarantee, and is not subject to section 14 (c)(1)(i) and (ii), the appraised production is reduced by the difference between the first or second stage (as applicable) and the final stage production guarantee; and

For Example:

You have 100 acres of a unit of transplanted storage onions with a production guarantee of 200 hundredweight per acre. Your crop suffers a covered cause of loss on 25 acres during the second stage which has a second stage production guarantee of 60 percent of the final stage production guarantee. The appraised production on the 25 acres was 2,500 hundredweight of onion production. Your second stage production to count on the 25 acres will be calculated as follows:

(1) 25 acres × 200 hundredweight final stage production guarantee = 5,000 hundredweight final stage production guarantee,

(2) 5,000 hundredweight final stage production guarantee × 60 percent second stage production guarantee = 3,000 hundredweight second stage production guarantee,

(3) 5,000 hundredweight final stage production guarantee −3,000 hundredweight second stage production guarantee = 2,000 hundredweight difference between second stage and final stage production guarantee, and

(4) 2,500 hundredweight appraised −2,000 hundredweight difference = 500 hundredweight second stage production to count (for step 4 of the section 14(b) example).

(v) Potential production on insured acreage that you intend to put to another use or abandon, if you and we agree on the appraised amount of production. Upon such agreement, the insurance period for that acreage will end if you put the acreage to another use or abandon the crop.

(vi) If agreement on the appraised amount of production is not reached:

(A) If you do not elect to continue to care for the crop, we may give you consent to put the acreage to another use if you agree to leave intact, and provide sufficient care for, representative samples of the crop in locations acceptable to us. (The amount of production to count for such acreage will be based on the harvested onion production or appraisals from the samples at the time harvest should have occurred. If you do not leave the required samples intact, or fail to provide sufficient care for the samples, our appraisal made prior to giving you consent to put the acreage to another use will be used to determine the amount of production to count); or

(B) If you elect to continue to care for the crop, the amount of production to count for the acreage will be the harvested onion production, or our reappraisal if additional damage occurs and the crop is not harvested.

(2) All harvested onion production from the insurable acreage.

(d) If the damage to harvested or unharvested onion production exceeds the percentage shown in the Special Provisions for the type, no production will be counted for that unit or portion of a unit unless such damaged onion production from that acreage is sold. If sold, the hundredweight of production to be counted will be adjusted by dividing the price received for the damaged onion production by the price election and multiplying the resulting factor times the hundredweight sold.

(e) The extent of any damaged onion production must be determined not later than the time onions are placed in storage if the production is stored prior to sale, or the date the onions are delivered to a packer, processor, or other handler if production is not stored.

15. Prevented Planting

Your prevented planting coverage will be a percentage specified in the actuarial documents of your final stage production guarantee for timely planted acreage. Additional prevented planting coverage levels are not available for onions.

[62 FR 28613, May 27, 1997, as amended at 62 FR 65173, Dec. 10, 1997; 64 FR 33385, June 23, 1999; 75 FR 15887, Mar. 30, 2010; 77 FR 13965, Mar. 8, 2012; 81 FR 84399, Nov. 23, 2016; 87 FR 38895, June 30, 2022; 87 FR 52853, Aug. 30, 2022]