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
Gary Hall, co-founder of Hollywood Impact Studios Rehabilitation, joined the program to discuss using agriculture to provide opportunities and mentorship for at-risk youth in Southern California.
November 21, 2025 02:25 PM
·
The agriculture workforce remains strong and diverse, offering meaningful pathways for students pursuing careers that support the food and farm economy.
November 21, 2025 02:13 PM
·
Screwworm.gov has targeted resources for a wide range of stakeholders, including livestock producers, veterinarians, animal health officials, wildlife professionals, healthcare providers, pet owners, researchers, drug manufacturers, and the general public.
November 21, 2025 02:09 PM
·
Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition discusses industry reactions to the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger, the Surface Transportation Board’s review process, and current conditions on the Mississippi River.
November 21, 2025 01:59 PM
·
Richard Gupton of the Agricultural Retailers Association explains a new resource designed to help farmers comply with ESA-related pesticide label requirements.
November 21, 2025 01:56 PM
·
Lower tariff rates and new rail-service proposals may improve corn movement efficiency during early-season marketing.
November 21, 2025 12:01 PM
·
Crop producers face tightening credit and lower incomes, while strong cattle markets continue to stabilize finances in livestock-heavy regions.
November 21, 2025 11:58 AM
·
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Stage Two will disburse around $16 billion, approved by Congress last year. Sign-ups begin Monday, and producers have until April to return applications.
November 21, 2025 11:48 AM
·
Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.
November 20, 2025 05:00 PM
·
