LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD-TV) — Margin Protection (MP) is a county-level crop insurance option that protects expected operating margin using county yields, futures prices, and region-specific input costs. Coverage ranges from 70 percent to 95 percent, and MP can be paired with individual policies such as Yield Protection or Revenue Protection — but not with the Supplemental Coverage Option or Enhanced Coverage Option.
A Protection Factor from 80 percent to 120 percent lets producers scale coverage — higher than 100% for farms that typically beat county yields, or lower if they tend to trail.
For some southern crops, MP uses an earlier sales-closing and price-discovery window — August 15 to September 14, 2025 — offering the chance to lock in values ahead of the normal spring window (January 15 to February 14, 2026). For corn, USDA’s Risk Management Agency lists a projected MP price of $4.55/bu, implying about $4.32/bu of price protection if county yields and costs hold. MP also tracks input futures — Urea, DAP, diesel, and interest rates — with their own projected and harvest discovery periods.
Hunter Biram, Assistant Professor and Associate Director at the Southern Risk Management Center, says decision support is available through the University of Arkansas’s web-based MP tool, including breakeven estimates.
One example shows a $4.13/bu breakeven at 95% coverage if the 30-day average of December 2026 corn futures during harvest (August 15 to September 14, 2026) falls below that mark. A new option, the Margin Coverage Option (MCO), provides area-based margin coverage over an 86% to 90% or 95% band, uses the same county yields as SCO/ECO, and carries an 80% premium subsidy. 2026 SCDs include September 30, 2025, for cotton and sorghum, and February 28, 2026, for Arkansas rice.
Farm-Level Takeaway: MP and the new MCO add county-level margin tools — with earlier price discovery, input cost triggers, and high subsidy rates — to complement on-farm risk plans for 2026.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Expert
University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold joined us to discuss seasonal affective disorder, winter mental health, and practical strategies for maintaining well-being in rural communities.
January 21, 2026 01:26 PM
·
The Farm Bureau is making an urgent call to Congress for more farm support. Colton Lacina with Farmers National Company joined us to discuss farmland values and how market dynamics for the year ahead reflect stabilization rather than collapse.
January 21, 2026 12:30 PM
·
Analysts say a Supreme Court decision on tariffs could reshape protein markets, strain U.S.-China trade, and force farmers to rethink global demand strategies.
January 21, 2026 12:03 PM
·
Corn growers are turning to ethanol, E15 expansion, and export markets to help absorb record supplies and stabilize prices. Farm leaders discuss low-carbon ethanol demand, flex-fuel vehicle challenges, input costs, and the role of USMCA as producers look for market relief in the year ahead.
January 20, 2026 02:04 PM
·
From rising trade tensions in Europe to a pending Supreme Court decision on tariffs and shifting demand from China, global trade policy spearheaded by President Donald Trump continues to shape the outlook for U.S. agriculture—adding uncertainty as farmers navigate another volatile year.
January 20, 2026 01:14 PM
·
The Surface Transportation Board rejects the proposed Norfolk Southern–Union Pacific merger, prompting concerns from agricultural shippers about rail consolidation, service reliability, and higher transportation costs.
January 20, 2026 12:25 PM
·
Congressional leaders signal momentum toward expanded, targeted farm aid to help producers manage losses and cash-flow stress in 2026.
January 20, 2026 11:48 AM
·
Livestock strength is carrying the farm economy, while crop margins remain tight and increasingly dependent on risk management and financial discipline.
January 19, 2026 05:00 PM
·
Freight volatility and route selection remain critical to soybean export margins and competitiveness.
January 19, 2026 04:00 PM
·
