Livestock Risk Protection Policy Updates and June 30 Transfer Deadline

CORTLAND, N.Y. — The USDA Risk Management Agency has announced significant updates to the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program effective July 1, 2026. These changes are intended to improve flexibility, expand coverage opportunities and create more consistency across livestock insurance products. The deadline for producers to transfer LRP providers to Crop Growers is June 30, 2026.

LRP offers producers protection against a decline in livestock market prices and insures fed cattle, feeder cattle and swine. There are several LRP coverage updates for the 2027 crop year to provide better risk management tools for dairy and livestock producers, including new unborn feeder cattle categories, increased maximum weights for Fed Cattle types and the expansion of Cull Cow coverage up to 52 weeks. There will also be new forage disaster exemption guidelines for drought and natural distracters. 

Additionally, there are changes that will apply across all livestock insurance products, including updated subsidies for beginning farmers and ranchers to provide more affordable insurance coverage and the option for concurrent coverage allowing producers to use multiple livestock programs together. Producers will be required to utilize the policy and add coverage, otherwise the policy will be automatically canceled if it isn’t used for three years.

The increased flexibility of LRP can help producers further protect the value of their livestock. To enroll, producers must work with an agent who is authorized to provide Federal crop insurance. Crop Growers’ knowledgeable agents can provide detailed information and assist producers in customizing coverage to fit their needs. Producers can sign up for the program at any time, but any existing policies can only be transferred to another provider by June 30, 2026.

Crop Growers provides and services crop, dairy and livestock insurance throughout New York, New Jersey and New England. Producers do not need to be a Farm Credit customer to purchase crop insurance. Contact your Crop Growers agent or the Crop Growers Customer Service Center at 1-800-234-7012 to learn more.

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