PUBLIC POLICY FOR CATASTROPIDC YIELD RISK: An Alternative Crop Insurance Program

U.S. farmers have for years relied on the financial support of both federally funded crop insurance and direct disaster assistance. Limits on availability of federal funds dictate that programs less costly to the government than disaster programs but more effective than past crop insurance programs be devised. An insurance program that pays according to losses in areas such as a county is one alternative. With such a plan farmers would pay less for protection. Its administrative cost would be less than typical crop insurance programs. Quality county yield data would be required.