09/01/05 RMA to respond to Senators on FCIC

Washington Ag September 1, 2005 The Risk Management Agency says in an e-mail to the Northwest Ag Information Network that it will be responding shortly to a letter from Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell in which the lawmakers seek an explanation for the delay in settling some crop insurance claims in Washington. Farmers for Fairness from USDA-RMA, a coalition of central Washington farmers say they have faced several years of delay in dealing with the RMA on crop insurance claims under the Adjusted Gross Revenue program and the group applauded the Senators' inquiry. In its response to us, the RMA suggests the delay in settling claims is due to the bankruptcy of the company which originally issued the insurance. That occurred a few years ago. In a previous interview, Pat Boss, a consultant for the Farmers for Fairness, had this response to the bankruptcy issue from the producers' perspective. Boss: "How is it my fault that insurance company A that is a sub-contractor of USDA, or insurance company B, or whatever company it is went bankrupt and needs to have everything resubmitted again." RMA says the cases are currently being investigated and reviewed but there is no specific time limit for a determination on the claims by RMA. Boss finds the lack of a time limit to be the most telling part of RMA's response. I'm Bob Hoff.