Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) is a USDA RMA Rainfall Index policy. Driven by neutral NOAA NCEI grid data, it can trigger automatic indemnity payments to help buy feed or hay when dry intervals hit—with zero adjusters and no production records required.
How the USDA RMA Rainfall Index works using official NOAA NCEI grid data.
PRF doesn't insure your fence-line rain gauge. It protects against regional forage deficits and escalating supplemental feed costs.
The RMA divides the map into roughly 17x17 mile grids. We map your owned or leased pasture tracts to identify your operation's exact Grid ID.
We pull historical NOAA NCEI precipitation data — the same 1951–present baseline RMA uses — to target two-month intervals matching your forage growth cycle (spring green-up vs. late summer dry spells).
If the published final grid index drops below your coverage level trigger (70%–90%), payments are direct deposited with no adjusters needed.
A few rule changes you need to know before the December 1, 2026 deadline.
Grazing acres now need livestock on the ground equal to at least 25% of the lease's stocking rate — with records kept for 3 years after the crop year. No livestock, no grazing coverage.
You can now put no more than 25% of your total policy value in the January–February interval.
RMA now uses NOAA NCEI data with a 1951–present baseline. If you got a quote under the old numbers, it needs to be re-run.
No premium due at sign-up — plan it into next year's cash flow.
PRF pays on grid rainfall versus normal — not on what your pasture actually looks like. It can pay when you barely hurt, and it can miss a real loss on your ground. That's called basis risk. Understand it before you sign, and I'll walk you through exactly how it applies to your acres.
See the exact numbers: historical indemnities vs. net premium costs for your specific Oklahoma, Texas, or Arkansas pastures — a 20-year lookback drawn from RMA's full 1951–present NOAA NCEI baseline.
Crop Insurance & Risk Management Specialist
Plains & Pasture Insurance • Affiliated with Grasslands Ag Insurance Services, Inc. Helping producers protect operations across Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas.