Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act

The Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act would amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to require research and development (R&D) aimed at creating an insurance policy specifically for mushrooms and for mushroom growing media. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (the “Corporation”) would either conduct this research directly or contract with qualified parties to do so. The bill would require that a mushroom insurance policy be made available if it meets certain statutory requirements. It also directs that the R&D evaluate policy options considering pests (like mushroom phorid flies and sciarid flies), fungal and viral pathogens, other causes of loss (such as electricity outages due to weather or losses of growing media from heavy rainfall), and practical design features (such as multiple policy structures, streamlined reporting, and revenue loss protection). A report detailing the results and recommendations would be due to Congress within two years of enactment. In short, the bill creates a mandate to develop and potentially offer a dedicated insurance policy for mushroom production and mushroom-growing media, along with guidance on what the policy should cover and how it should be designed.