[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 179 (Friday, September 13, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48423-48428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23455]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
7 CFR Part 457


Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Guaranteed Production Plan of 
Fresh Market Tomato Crop Insurance Provisions

AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes 
specific crop provisions for the insurance of fresh market tomatoes. 
The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop 
Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, which contain standard terms and 
conditions common to most crops. The intended effect of this action is 
to provide policy changes to better meet the needs of the insured and 
combine the current Fresh Market Tomato (Guaranteed Production Plan) 
Crop Insurance Regulations with the Common Crop Insurance Policy for 
ease of use and consistency of terms.


[[Page 48424]]


DATES: Written comments, data, and opinions on this proposed rule will 
be accepted until close of business October 15, 1996, and will be 
considered when the rule is to be made final. The comment period for 
information collections under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
continues through November 12, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
the Chief, Product Development Branch, Federal Crop Insurance 
Corporation, United States Department of Agriculture, 9435 Holmes Road, 
Kansas City, MO 64131. Written comments will be available for public 
inspection and copying in room 0324, South Building, United States 
Department of Agriculture, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., est Monday through Friday, except 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louise Narber, Program Analyst, 
Research and Development Division, Product Development Branch, Federal 
Crop Insurance Corporation, at the Kansas City, MO, address listed 
above, telephone (816) 926-7730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order No. 12866

    This action has been reviewed under United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) procedures established by Executive Order No. 12866. 
This action constitutes a review as to the need, currency, clarity, and 
effectiveness of these regulations under those procedures. The sunset 
review date established for these regulations is May 15, 2001.
    This rule has been determined to be not significant for the 
purposes of Executive Order No. 12866 and, therefore, has not been 
reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    The information collection requirements contained in these 
regulations were previously approved by OMB pursuant to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) under OMB control number 
0563-0003 through September 30, 1998.
    The amendments set forth in this proposed rule do not contain 
additional information collections that require clearance by the OMB 
under the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapter 35.
    The title of this information collection is ``Catastrophic Risk 
Protection Plan and Related Requirements including, Common Crop 
Insurance Regulations; Guaranteed Production Plan of Fresh Market 
Tomato Crop Insurance Provisions.'' The information to be collected 
includes: a crop insurance application and an acreage report. 
Information collected from the application and acreage report and is 
electronically submitted to FCIC by the reinsured companies. Potential 
respondents to this information collection are producers of fresh 
market tomatoes that are eligible for Federal crop insurance.
    The information requested is necessary for the reinsured companies 
and FCIC to provide insurance and reinsurance, determine eligibility, 
determine the correct parties to the agreement or contract, determine 
and collect premiums or other monetary amounts, and pay benefits.
    All information is reported annually. The reporting burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average 16.9 minutes per 
response for each of the 3.6 responses from approximately 1,755,015 
respondents. The total annual burden on the public for this information 
collection is 2,676,932 hours.
    Comments should be submitted for the following: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information of respondents, including through the use 
of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
gathering technology.
    Comments regarding paperwork reduction should be submitted to the 
Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503 and to 
Bonnie Hart, United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service 
Agency, Advisory and Corporate Operations Staff, Regulatory Review 
Group, P.O. Box 2145, STOP 0572, Washington, D.C. 20013-2415, telephone 
(202) 690-2857. Copies of the information collection may be obtained 
from Bonnie Hart at the above address.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public 
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the 
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal 
governments and the private sector. This rule contains no Federal 
mandates (under the regulatory provisions of title II of the UMRA) for 
State, local, and tribal governments or the private sector. Thus, this 
rule is not subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the 
UMRA.

Executive Order No. 12612

    It has been determined under section 6(a) of Executive Order No. 
12612, Federalism, that this rule does not have sufficient Federalism 
implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment. The 
provisions contained in this rule will not have a substantial direct 
effect on States or their political subdivisions, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among various levels of 
Government.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This regulation will not have a significant impact on a substantial 
number of small entities. New provisions included in this rule will not 
impact small entities to a greater extent than large entities. Under 
the current regulations, a producer is required to complete an 
application and acreage report. If the crop is damaged or destroyed, 
the insured is required to give notice of loss and provide the 
necessary information to complete a claim for indemnity. The insured 
must also annually certify to the previous years production or receive 
an assigned yield. The producer must maintain the production records to 
support the certified information for at least 3 years. This regulation 
does not alter those requirements. The amount of work required of the 
insurance companies delivering and servicing these policies will not 
increase significantly from the amount of work currently required. This 
rule does not have any greater or lesser impact on the producer. 
Therefore, this action is determined to be exempt from the provisions 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605), and no Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis was prepared.

Federal Assistance Program

    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.450.

Executive Order No. 12372

    This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 
No. 12372, which require intergovernmental consultation with State and 
local officials. See the Notice related to 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, 
published at 48 FR 29115, June 24, 1983.

[[Page 48425]]

Executive Order No. 12778

    The Office of the General Counsel has determined that these 
regulations meet the applicable standards provided in sections 2(a) and 
2(b)(2) of Executive Order No. 12778. The provisions of this rule will 
not have a retroactive effect prior to the effective date. The 
provisions of this rule will preempt State and local laws to the extent 
such State and local laws are inconsistent herewith. The administrative 
appeal provisions published at 7 CFR parts 11 and 780 must be exhausted 
before action for judicial review may be brought.

Environmental Evaluation

    This action is not expected to have a significant impact on the 
quality of the human environment, health, and safety. Therefore, 
neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact 
Statement is needed.

National Performance Review

    This regulatory action is being taken as part of the National 
Performance Review initiative to eliminate unnecessary or duplicative 
regulations and improve those that remain in force.

Background

    FCIC proposes to add to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations (7 
CFR part 457), a new section, 7 CFR 457.128, Guaranteed Production Plan 
of Fresh Market Tomato Crop Insurance Provisions. The new provisions 
will be effective for the 1997 and succeeding crop years. These 
provisions will supersede and replace the current provisions for 
insuring fresh market tomatoes found at 7 CFR part 454 (Fresh Market 
Tomato (Guaranteed Production Plan) Crop Insurance Regulations).
    By separate rule, FCIC will revise 7 CFR part 454 to restrict its 
effect through the 1997 crop year and later remove that part.
    This rule makes minor editorial and format changes to improve the 
Fresh Market Tomato (Guaranteed Production Plan) Crop Insurance 
Regulations' compatibility with the Common Crop Insurance Policy. In 
addition, FCIC is proposing substantive changes in the provisions for 
insuring fresh market tomatoes as follows:
    1. Section 1--Add definitions for the terms ``carton,'' ``days,'' 
``direct marketing,'' ``FSA,'' ``good farming practices,'' ``irrigated 
practice,'' ``planting period,'' ``practical to replant,'' ``production 
guarantee (per acre),'' ``row width,'' and ``written agreement'' for 
clarification. Delete the definition of ``county'' so that the 
definition of ``county'' contained in the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8) 
will be applicable for fresh market tomatoes. The definition of county 
in part 454 includes additional land located in a local producing area 
bordering on the county. The current definition will require such land 
to be insured using the actuarial materials for the county where the 
land is located.
    2. Section 2--Add a provision for dividing a basic unit by planting 
period if spring and fall planting periods are provided in the Special 
Provisions.
    3. Section 3--Specify that the insured may select only one price 
election for all the tomatoes in the county insured under the policy, 
unless the Special Provisions provide different price elections by 
type, in which case the insured may select one price election for each 
tomato type designated in the Special Provisions. Each price election 
chosen for each type must have the same percentage relationship to the 
maximum price offered by the insurance provider.
    4. Section 4--Change the contract change date from November 30 to 
September 30 for counties with the new January 15 cancellation date to 
assure adequate time for producers to become familiar with any policy 
changes.
    5. Section 5--Change the cancellation and termination dates from 
February 15 to January 15 and from April 15 to March 15 to be 
consistent with the movement of the sales closing dates as required by 
the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act.
    6. Section 6--Add a provision to specify that the insured must 
report all the information required in section 6 of the Basic 
Provisions by the acreage reporting date for each planting period, if 
spring and fall planting periods are allowed in the Special Provisions.
    7. Section 7--Add a provision to specify that when computing the 
premium, the share at the time of each planting will be used in the 
premium calculation.
    8. Section 8--Add a provision to specify that plum type tomatoes 
are not insurable. Cherry type tomatoes are already excluded from 
insurance coverage. The current provisions are not compatible with the 
characteristics of these types of tomatoes. Also add a provision to 
require that the tomato crop be planted within the applicable spring or 
fall planting periods to be insurable.
    9. Section 9(b)(4)--Add a provision to specify that we will not 
require the soil to be fumigated or nematicide applied to acreage on 
which tomatoes were planted within the last 2 years as long as the 
tomatoes were destroyed prior to reaching the 2nd stage or if otherwise 
specified in the Special Provisions. Fumigation or application of a 
nematicide is not necessary if the crop was destroyed prior to reaching 
the stage when such problems would be apparent.
    10. Section 10--Add a provision to specify that coverage begins 
when the tomatoes are planted in each planting period if spring and 
fall planting periods are authorized in the Special Provisions.
    11. Section 11(b)(2)--Amend the provision specifying that loss of 
production due to disease or insect infestation is not insurable, to 
make these causes of loss insurable if adverse weather prevents the 
proper application of control measures; causes properly applied control 
measures to be ineffective; or causes disease or insect infestation for 
which no effective control mechanism is available in order to provide 
coverage in those circumstances when such damage is legitimately beyond 
the control of the insured.
    12. Section 12--Add a provision permitting one replanting payment 
per planting period instead of one replanting payment per crop year 
since the crop planted in each planting season is effectively 
considered as a separate crop.
    13. Section 14--Add provisions for providing insurance coverage by 
written agreement. FCIC has a long standing policy of permitting 
certain modification of the insurance contract by written agreement for 
some policies. This amendment allows FCIC to tailor the policy to a 
specific insured in certain instances. The new section will cover the 
procedures for, and duration of, written agreements.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 457

    Crop Insurance, tomato.

    Pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Crop Insurance 
Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), the Federal Crop Insurance 
Corporation hereby proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance 
Regulations, (7 CFR part 457), effective for the 1997 and succeeding 
crop years, to read as follows:

PART 457--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for 7 CFR part 457 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1506(l) and 1506(p)

    2. 7 CFR part 457 is amended by adding a new Sec. 457.128 to read 
as follows:

[[Page 48426]]

Sec. 457.128  Guaranteed Production Plan of Fresh Market Tomato Crop 
Insurance Provisions

    The Guaranteed Production Plan of Fresh Market Tomato Crop 
Insurance Provisions for the 1997 and succeeding crop years are as 
follows:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation

Guaranteed Production Plan of Fresh Market Tomato Crop Provisions

    If a conflict exists among the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8), 
these crop provisions, and the Special Provisions; the Special 
Provisions will control these crop provisions and the Basic 
Provisions; and these crop provisions will control the Basic 
Provisions.

1. Definitions

    Acre--43,560 square feet of land on which the row width does not 
exceed six feet, or; if the row width exceeds six feet, the land 
area on which at least 7,260 linear feet of tomato plants are 
planted.
    Carton--A standard container that contains 25 pounds of fresh 
tomatoes unless otherwise provided in the Special Provisions.
    Days--Calendar days.
    Direct marketing--Sale of the insured crop directly to consumers 
without the intervention of an intermediary such as a wholesaler, 
retailer, packer, processor, shipper or buyer. Examples of direct 
marketing include selling through an on-farm or roadside stand, 
farmer's market, and permitting the general public to enter the 
field for the purpose of picking all or a portion of the crop.
    FSA--The Farm Service Agency, an agency of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, or a successor agency.
    Good farming practices--The cultural practices generally in use 
in the county for the crop to make normal progress toward maturity 
and produce at least the yield used to determine the production 
guarantee, and generally recognized by the Cooperative State 
Research, Education, and Extension Service as compatible with 
agronomic and weather conditions in the county.
    Harvest--Picking of marketable tomatoes.
    Irrigated practice--A method of producing a crop by which water 
is artificially applied during the growing season by appropriate 
systems and at the proper times, with the intention of providing the 
quantity of water needed to produce at least the yield used to 
establish the irrigated production guarantee on the irrigated 
acreage planted to the insured crop.
    Mature green tomato--A tomato that:
    (a) Has a heightened gloss due to a waxy skin that cannot be 
torn by scraping;
    (b) Has well formed jelly-like substance in the locules;
    (c) Has seeds that are sufficiently hard so they are pushed 
aside and not cut by a sharp knife in slicing; and
    (d) Shows no red color.
    Planting--Transplanting the tomato plants into the field.
    Planting period--The period of time designated in the Special 
Provisions during which the tomatoes must be planted to be 
considered spring or fall planted tomatoes.
    Plant stand--The number of live plants per acre before any 
damage occurs.
    Potential Production--The number of cartons per acre of mature 
green or ripe tomatoes with classification size of 6  x  7 (2\8/
32\inch minimum diameter) or larger which the tomato plants would 
have produced by the end of the insurance period.
    Practical to replant--In lieu of the definition of ``Practical 
to replant'' contained in section 1 of the Basic Provisions 
(Sec. 457.8), practical to replant is defined as our determination, 
after loss or damage to the insured crop, based on factors, 
including but not limited to moisture availability, condition of the 
field, and time to crop maturity, that replanting the insured crop 
will allow the crop to attain maturity prior to the calendar date 
for the end of the insurance period. In counties that do not have 
both spring and fall planting periods, it will not be considered 
practical to replant after the final planting date unless replanting 
is generally occurring in the area. In counties that have spring and 
fall planting periods, it will not be considered practical to 
replant after the final planting date for the planting period in 
which the crop was initially planted.
    Prevented planting--Inability to plant the insured crop with 
proper equipment by the final planting date designated in the 
Special Provisions for the insured crop in the county. You must have 
been unable to plant the insured crop due to an insured cause of 
loss that has prevented the majority of producers in the surrounding 
area from planting the same crop.
    Production guarantee (per acre)--The number of cartons 
determined by multiplying the approved APH yield per acre by the 
coverage level percentage you elect.
    Replanting--Performing the cultural practices necessary to 
replace the tomato plants and then replacing the tomato plants in 
the insured acreage with the expectation of growing a successful 
crop.
    Ripe tomato--A tomato that meets the definition of a mature 
green tomato, except that the tomato shows some red color.
    Row width--The widest distance from the center of one row of 
plants to the center of an adjacent row of plants.
    Written agreement--A written document that alters designated 
terms of this policy in accordance with section 14.

2. Unit Division

    (a) A unit, as defined in section 1 (Definitions) of the Basic 
Provisions (Sec. 457.8), may be divided into basic units by planting 
period if spring and fall planting periods are provided for in the 
Special Provisions. Unless limited by the Special Provisions, these 
basic units may be divided into optional units if, for each optional 
unit you meet all the conditions of this section or if a written 
agreement to such division exists.
    (b) Basic units may not be divided into optional units on any 
basis including, but not limited to, production practice, type, 
variety, and planting period, other than as described in this 
section.
    (c) If you do not comply fully with these provisions, we will 
combine all optional units that are not in compliance with these 
provisions into the basic unit from which they were formed. We will 
combine the optional units at any time we discover that you have 
failed to comply with these provisions. If failure to comply with 
these provisions is determined to be inadvertent, and the optional 
units are combined into a basic unit, that portion of the premium 
paid for the purpose of electing optional units will be refunded to 
you for the units combined.
    (d) All optional units established for a crop year must be 
identified on the acreage report for that crop year.
    (a) The following requirements must be met for each optional 
unit:
    (1) You must have records, which can be independently verified, 
of planted acreage and production for each optional unit for at 
least the last crop year used to determine your production 
guarantee;
    (2) You must plant the crop in a manner that results in a clear 
and discernable break in the planting pattern at the boundaries of 
each optional unit; and
    (3) You must have records of marketed production or measurement 
of stored production from each optional unit maintained in such a 
manner that permits us to verify the production from each optional 
unit, or the production from each unit must be kept separate until 
loss adjustment is completed by us.
    (b) Each optional unit must meet one or more of the following 
criteria, as applicable:
    (1) Optional Units by Section, Section Equivalent, or FSA Farm 
Serial Number: Optional units may be established if each optional 
unit is located in a separate legally identified section. In the 
absence of sections, we may consider parcels of land legally 
identified by other methods of measure including, but not limited to 
Spanish grants, railroad surveys, leagues, labors, or Virginia 
Military Lands, as the equivalent of sections for unit purposes. In 
areas that have not been surveyed using the systems identified 
above, or another system approved by us, or in areas where such 
systems exist but boundaries are not readily discernable, each 
optional unit must be located in a separate farm identified by a 
single FSA Farm Serial Number.
    (2) Optional Units on Acreage Including Both Irrigated and Non-
Irrigated Practices: In addition to, or instead of, establishing 
optional units by section, section equivalent, or FSA Farm Serial 
Number, optional units may be based on irrigated acreage or non-
irrigated acreage if both are located in the same section, section 
equivalent, or FSA Farm Serial Number. To qualify as separate 
irrigated and non-irrigated optional units, the non-irrigated 
acreage may not continue into the irrigated acreage in the same rows 
or planting pattern. The irrigated acreage may not extend beyond the 
point at which the irrigation system can deliver the quantity of 
water needed to produce the yield on which the guarantee is based, 
except the corners of a field in which a center-pivot irrigation 
system is used will be considered as irrigated acreage if separate 
acceptable records of production from the corners are not provided. 
If the corners of a field in which a center-pivot irrigation system 
is used do not qualify as a separate non-irrigated

[[Page 48427]]

optional unit, they will be a part of the unit containing the 
irrigated acreage. However, non-irrigated acreage that is not a part 
of a field in which a center-pivot irrigation system is used may 
qualify as a separate optional unit provided that all requirements 
of this section are met.

3. Insurance Guarantees, Coverage Levels, and Prices for Determining 
Indemnities

    In addition to the requirements of section 3 (Insurance Guarantees, 
Coverage Levels, and Prices for Determining Indemnities) of the Basic 
Provisions (Sec. 457.8):
    (a) You may select only one price election for all the tomatoes 
in the county insured under this policy unless the Special 
Provisions provide different price elections by type, in which case 
you may select one price election for each tomato type designated in 
the Special 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 one hundred 
percent (100%) of the maximum price election for one type, you must 
also choose one hundred percent (100%) of the maximum price election 
for all other types.
    (b) The production guarantees per acre are progressive by stages 
and increase, at specified intervals, to the final stage production 
guarantee. The stages and production guarantees are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Percent of                              
                                 stage 4                                
                                  (final                                
            Stage                 stage)           Length of time       
                                production                              
                                guarantee                               
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................           50  From planting until         
                                             qualifying for stage 2.    
2............................           75  From the earlier of stakes  
                                             driven, one tie and        
                                             pruning, or 30 days after  
                                             planting until qualifying  
                                             for stage 3.               
3............................           90  From the earlier of the end 
                                             of stage 2 or 60 days after
                                             planting until qualifying  
                                             for stage 4.               
4............................          100  From the earlier of 75 days 
                                             after planting or the      
                                             beginning of harvest.      
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (c) Any acreage of tomatoes damaged to the extent that producers 
in the area generally would not further care for the tomatoes will 
be deemed to have been destroyed even though you continue to care 
for the tomatoes. The production guarantee for such acreage will be 
the guarantee for the stage in which such damage occurs.

4. Contract Changes

    In accordance with section 4 (Contract Changes) of the Basic 
Provisions (Sec. 457.8), the contract change date is September 30 
preceding the cancellation date for counties with a January 15 
cancellation date and December 31 preceding the cancellation date 
for all other counties.

5. Cancellation and Termination Dates

    In accordance with section 2 (Life of Policy, Cancellation, and 
Termination) of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8), the cancellation 
and termination dates are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Cancellation and  termination  
                State                                 date              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
California, Florida, Georgia, and      January 15.                      
 South Carolina.                                                        
All other states.....................  March 15.                        
------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Report of Acreage

    (a) In addition to the provisions of section 6 (Report of 
Acreage) of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8), you must report the 
row width of all the tomatoes grown in the county.
    (b) If spring and fall planting periods are allowed in the 
Special Provisions you must report all the information required by 
section 6 of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8) by the acreage 
reporting date for each planting period.

7. Annual Premium

    In lieu of provisions contained in the Basic Provisions 
(Sec. 457.8), for determining premium amounts, the annual premium is 
determined by multiplying the final stage production guarantee by 
the price election, by the premium rate, by the insured acreage, by 
your share at the time coverage begins, and by any applicable 
premium adjustment factor contained in the Special Provisions.

8. Insured Crop

    In accordance with section 8 (Insured Crop) of the Basic 
Provisions (Sec. 457.8), the crop insured will be all the tomatoes 
in the county for which a premium rate is provided by the actuarial 
table:
    (a) In which you have a share;
    (b) That are transplanted tomatoes planted for harvest as fresh 
market tomatoes (cherry and plum types are excluded);
    (c) That are planted within the spring or fall planting dates, 
as applicable, specified in the Special Provisions; and
    (d) That are not (unless allowed by the Special Provisions or by 
written agreement):
    (1) Interplanted with another crop; or
    (2) Planted into an established grass or legume.

9. Insurable Acreage

    In addition to the provisions of section 9 (Insurable Acreage) 
of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8):
    (a) Any acreage of the insured crop damaged before the final 
planting date, to the extent that the majority of growers in the 
area would normally not further care for the crop, must be replanted 
unless we agree that it is not practical to replant. Unavailability 
of plants will not be considered a valid reason for failure to 
replant.
    (b) We do not insure any acreage of tomatoes:
    (1) Grown by any person if the person had not previously:
    (i) Grown fresh market tomatoes for commercial sales; or
    (ii) Participated in the management of a fresh market tomato 
farming operation, in at least one of the three previous years.
    (2) Grown for direct marketing;
    (3) That does not meet the rotation requirements contained in 
the Special Provisions;
    (4) On which tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, or tobacco have been 
grown within the previous two years unless the soil was fumigated or 
nematicide was applied before planting the tomatoes, except that 
this limitation does not apply in Pennsylvania, to acreage planted 
to tomatoes within the last 2 years when the tomatoes were destroyed 
prior to reaching the 2nd stage, or if otherwise specified in the 
Special Provisions;
    (5) That are not subject to an agreement (packing contract) 
between you and a packer unless you have access to packing 
facilities. Such agreement must be executed before the acreage 
reporting date.

10. Insurance Period

    In lieu of the provisions of section 11 (Insurance Period) of 
the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8):
    (a) Coverage begins on each unit, or part of a unit for units 
with spring and fall planting periods, when the tomatoes are 
planted.
    (b) Coverage will end on any insured acreage at the earliest of:
    (1) Total destruction of the tomatoes;
    (2) Discontinuance of harvest;
    (3) The date harvest should have started on any acreage which 
was not harvested;
    (4) 120 days after the date of transplanting or replanting;
    (5) Completion of harvest; or
    (6) Final adjustment of a loss.

11. Causes of Loss

    (a) In accordance with the provisions of section 12 (Causes of 
Loss) of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8), insurance is provided 
only against the following causes of loss that occur during the 
insurance period:
    (1) Adverse weather conditions;
    (2) Fire;
    (3) Wildlife;
    (4) Earthquake;
    (5) Volcanic eruption;
    (6) Failure of irrigation water supply, if caused by an insured 
peril that occurs during the insurance period.
    (b) In addition to the causes of loss excluded in section 12 
(Causes of Loss) of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8), we will not 
insure against damage or loss of production due to:
    (1) Damage that occurs or becomes evident after the tomatoes 
have been harvested; or
    (2) Disease or insect infestation, unless adverse weather:

[[Page 48428]]

    (i) Prevents the proper application of control measures or 
causes properly applied control measures to be ineffective; or
    (ii) Causes disease or insect infestation for which no effective 
control mechanism is available.

12. Replanting Payment

    (a) In accordance with section 13 (Replanting Payment) of the 
Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8), a replanting payment is allowed if 
the crop is damaged by an insurable cause of loss and the acreage to 
be replanted has sustained a loss in excess of fifty percent (50%) 
of the plant stand.
    (b) The maximum amount of the replanting payment per acre will 
be 70 cartons multiplied by your price election, and by your insured 
share.
    (c) In lieu of the provisions contained in section 13 
(Replanting Payment) of the Basic Provisions (Sec. 457.8) that 
permit only one replanting payment each crop year, when spring and 
fall planting periods are contained in the Special Provisions, you 
may be eligible for one replanting payment for acreage planted 
during each planting period within the crop year.

13. Settlement of Claim

    (a) We will determine your loss on a unit basis. In the event 
you are unable to provide separate, acceptable production records:
    (1) For any optional unit, we will combine all optional units 
for which such production records were not provided; or
    (2) For any basic unit, we will allocate any commingled 
production to such units in proportion to our liability on the 
harvested acreage for each unit.
    (b) In the event of loss or damage covered by this policy, we 
will settle your claim by:
    (1) Multiplying the insured acreage for each type, if applicable 
by its respective production guarantee and by the factor for the 
applicable stage;
    (2) Multiplying the results of section 13(b)(1) by the 
respective price election for each type, if applicable;
    (3) Totaling the results of section 13(b)(2);
    (4) Multiplying the total production to be counted of each type, 
if applicable, (see section 13(c)) by the respective price election;
    (5) Totaling the results of section 13(b)(4);
    (6) Subtracting this result of section 13(b)(5) from the results 
in section 13(b)(3); and
    (7) Multiplying the result of section 13(b)(6) by your share.
    (c) The total production to count (in cartons) 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) Put to another use without our consent;
    (C) Damaged solely by uninsured causes; or
    (D) For which you fail to provide production records that are 
acceptable to us;
    (ii) Potential production lost due to uninsured causes;
    (iii) Unharvested production of mature green and ripe tomatoes 
with classification size of 6  x  7 (2\8/32\ inch minimum diameter) 
or larger remaining after harvest is discontinued;
    (iv) Potential production on unharvested acreage and potential 
production on acreage when harvest has not been completed;
    (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 when you put the acreage to another use or 
abandon the crop. 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 
production or appraisals from the samples at the time harvest should 
have occurred. If you do not leave the required samples intact, or 
you 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 
production, or our reappraisal if additional damage occurs and the 
crop is not harvested; and
    (2) All harvested production from the insurable acreage:
    (i) That is marketed, regardless of grade; and
    (ii) That is unmarketed and grades eighty-five percent (85%) or 
better U.S. No. 1 with classification size of 6  x  7 (2\8/32\ inch 
minimum diameter) or larger.

14. Written Agreements

    Designated terms of this policy may be altered by written 
agreement in accordance with the following:
    (a) You must apply in writing for each written agreement no 
later than the sales closing date, except as provided in section 
14(e);.
    (b) The application for a written agreement must contain all 
variable terms of the contract between you and us that will be in 
effect if the written agreement is not approved;
    (c) If approved, the written agreement will include all variable 
terms of the contract, including, but not limited to, crop type or 
variety, the guarantee, premium rate, and price election;
    (d) Each written agreement will only be valid for one year (If 
the written agreement is not specifically renewed the following 
year, insurance coverage for subsequent crop years will be in 
accordance with the printed policy); and
    (e) An application for a written agreement submitted after the 
sales closing date may be approved if, after a physical inspection 
of the acreage, it is determined that no loss has occurred and the 
crop is insurable in accordance with the policy and written 
agreement provisions.

    Signed in Washington, D.C., on September 4, 1996.
Kenneth D. Ackerman,
Manager, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
[FR Doc. 96-23455 Filed 9-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-FA-P