Welcome to Growers
National Co-op
Growers National Cooperative
Insurance Agency, Inc. (GNC), was formed as a result of the Agricultural
Risk Protection Act of 2000 which states, "partnerships between approved
insurance providers and farmer-owned cooperatives provide an opportunity for
agricultural producers to obtain needed insurance coverage on a more competitive
basis and at a lower cost." The management
of CropUSA was instrumental in the conceptualization and formation of
GNC. GNC will play an integral role in the distribution and
consolidation of insurance policies purchased by farmers and will
serve as a key marketing tool to differentiate our offering from those
of other agents.
GNC is distinctly different from
other businesses. These differences are found in its purpose,
ownership, control, and how benefits are distributed. GNC members
will unite to get services and products for their mutual benefit.
Acting together gives members the advantage of size and bargaining power.
When GNC generates margins from
efficient operations, these earnings will be returned to members in
proportion to their use of the cooperative. Without GNC, these
funds would go to middlemen or processors.
Role of the Co-op
The passage of the Agricultural
Risk Protection Act on June 20, 2000, provides significant opportunities
to GNC by authorizing an additional expenditure of $8.2B over five
years in the federal crop insurance program by primarily offering higher
subsidies for farmers who buy MPCI and Crop Revenue Coverage. One
of the primary goals of the Act is to encourage more participation by
farmers.
The law acknowledges the roll
cooperatives and associations could play in encouraging producer participation
in the federal crop insurance program, improving the delivery system for
crop insurance, and helping to develop new and improved insurance products.