Crop Insurance Today June 2018 - 24

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Arizona Hosts Industry Leaders
The 2018 Crop Insurance Industry Annual Convention, sponsored by the American Association of Crop Insurers (AACI)
and the National Crop Insurance Services
(NCIS), was a success as industry leaders
met in Scottsdale, Arizona, in early February.
The educational sessions were excellent and
included comments from Congressman Michael
Conaway, discussions surrounding the 2018 Farm
Bill, political perspectives, and recent weather
events. The meeting also provided attendees an

opportunity to meet with re-insurers and network with other crop insurance professionals.
Mike Day, Chairman of the NCIS Board of
Directors, kicked off the Convention by thanking
everyone for their hard work educating stakeholders about the importance of crop insurance
over the last year.
"Because our focus wasn't on a farm bill or
new SRA, we could take the time to educate
Congress and garner more support for crop insurance," Day said. "We have seen an increase in

The winners of the 2018 Crop Insurance Industry Annual Convention Golf Tournament were: Tyler
Silveus, Silveus Crop Insurance; Stephanie Russell, Trans Re; Dan Bird, Rain and Hail; and, Tom
Zacharias, NCIS. The tournament raises money to support the charity selected for the convention.
You can reach more about this year's charity, Progressive Ag Safety Day, in the sidebar of this article.

JUNE2018

the number of stakeholders, and the diversity of
groups who support a viable crop insurance system, and we are grateful for their support."
Conway, Chairman of the House Agriculture
Committee, who addressed attendees Monday
morning, talked about the House version of the
2018 Farm Bill saying the bill leaving his Committee will include a strong crop insurance component, and he will work to fight off attempts to
weaken crop insurance.
"Our mantra is 'don't screw up crop insurance,'" he explained.
In separate taped videos, House Agriculture
Committee members, Cheri Bustos of Illinois
and Rick Crawford of Arkansas delivered parallel messages emphasizing their support for crop
insurance saying it is a key risk management tool
for farmers.
"It's important to recognize the value [crop
insurance] brings to the American consumer,"
Crawford said. "So, we want to continue it; protect it. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot
have national security very long. The investment
we make is agriculture is an investment in national security."
Bustos echoed Crawford's comments of support for crop insurance.
"Since my very first day in Congress, I have
always fought to protect and strengthen crop insurance," Bustos said. "I've never backed down
from a fight when it comes to protecting it."
The 2018 Farm Bill was a topic of conversation throughout the Convention. A panel of
commodity group representatives has been a staple throughout the last several years of this event.
However, there were a few new groups represented this year, including dairy, fresh produce, and

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crop Insurance Today June 2018