RMA Approves Satellite Measuring Systems

November 29, 1999

USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) supports geographic imaging systems-global positioning systems to measure insured acreage. Two crop insurance companies already are using the technology.

The Department of Defense and USDA are the two main departments using satellite data mainly to forecast crop production worldwide.

"Many producers are way ahead of us in using this technology," says Ken Ackerman, RMA administrator. "GPS technology provides them the information they need to customize their farming practices. Until now, RMA has only used the satellite imaging data that assess crop damage from natural disasters like Hurricane Floyd. Wider use of this technology will increase the accuracy of acreage reporting."