News // Oysters

The Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program available through the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) is in its third year and is available to all Florida counties where commercial oyster aquaculture occurs. Shellfish seed purchased at an uninsurable size and reared in a grower’s nursery system to an insurable size is covered. The pilot program, which is an actual production history-price component coverage policy, provides protection against losses due to named storms, excessive heat during a low tide event, freeze during a low tide event, or low salinity due to excessive rainfall. In addition to the underlying policy, oyster growers can