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of federal and state certification and quarantine shipping 

 requirements are imposed on nursery growers to prevent the spread 

 of such pests to other agricultural crops even when such pests 

 are not directly injurious to nursery plants. 



THE FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED 



Since many nursery crops often take several years in the field 

 before they are ready for harvest, nursery farmers endure wide 

 weather swings and patterns over a multi-year period. In any 

 given year, nurserymen may lose farmgate sales of tens of 

 millions of dollars in plant material destroyed by the vagaries 

 of nature. 



Nursery farmers traditionally absorb these losses and treat them 

 as costs of conducting business. The weather patterns of freezes 

 and droughts are often unpredictable. The toll is obviously 

 heavier and more costly in some years than in others. As noted 

 earlier, the nursery industry does not receive any federal 

 production subsidies or price supports, and we desire as little 

 government interference as possible. In turn, nursery farmers 

 have historically not looked to the federal government for direct 

 federal assistance. 



Given the nursery industry's strong and continuing aversion to 

 turning to the federal government for direct financial 

 assistance, there is, nonetheless, an important mechanism by 

 which the federal government can partner with the nursery 

 industry. It is one in which the nursery industry, and the rest 

 of agriculture, could pay its fair share. AAN recommends that 

 the availability of federal crop insurance be broadened to all 

 agricultural crops, and that its purchase by farmers be made more 

 economical . 



The availability of federal crop insurance to the nursery 

 industry is severely limited. This is largely due to the often 

 multi-year production periods for most nursery crops, as well as 

 the tremendous diversity of nursery crops. Even in those limited 

 instances where crop insurance is available to nursery farmers, 

 the premiums are excessive and unaf fordable. By universally 

 broadening federal crop insurance to all agricultural crops, 

 costs can be pooled and risks can be spread more effectively. 



Current USDA disaster assistance programs can unintentionally 

 reward marginal farmers who, if only they were to change some of 

 their management practices, could mitigate or even avert some of 

 their crop losses. By the same token, current USDA disaster 

 programs are often off-limits to strong and innovative farmers 



