(a) Nonstandard classification procedures in this subpart initially apply when all of the following insurance experience criteria (including any applicable adjustment in §400.303(d)) for the crop have been met:

(1) Three (3) or more indemnified losses during the NCS base period;

(2) Cumulative indemnities in the NCS base period that exceed cumulative premiums during the same period by at least $500;

(3) The result of dividing the number of indemnified losses during the NCS base period by the number of years premium is earned for that period equals .30 or greater; and

(4) Either of the following apply:

(i) The natural logarithm of the cumulative earned premium rate multiplied by the square root of the cumulative loss ratio equals 2.00 or greater; or

(ii) Five (5) or more indemnified losses have occurred during the NCS base period and the cumulative loss ratio equals or exceeds 1.50.

(b) The minimum standards provided in paragraphs (a) (2), (3), and (4) of this section may be increased in a specific county if that county's overall insurance experience for the crop is substantially different from the insurance experience for which the criteria was determined. The increased standard will apply until the conditions requiring the increase no longer apply. Any change in the standards will be contained in the Special Provisions for the crop.

(c) Selection criteria may be applied on the basis of insurance experience of a person, insured acreage, or the combination of both.

(1) Insurance experience of a person will include:

(i) Insurance experience of the person;

(ii) Insurance experience of other insured entities in which the person had substantial beneficial interest if the person was actively engaged in farming of the insured crop by virtue of the person's interest in those insured entities;

(iii) Insurance experience of a spouse and minor children if the person is an individual and the spouse and minor children are considered the same as the individual under §400.306.

(2) Insurance experience of insured acreage includes all insurance experience during the base period resulting from the production of the insured crop on the acreage.

(3) Where insurance experience is based on a combination of person and insured acreage, the insurance experience will include the experience of the person as defined in paragraph (b) of this section (1) only on the specific insured acreage during the base period.

(d) Insurance experience for the crop will be adjusted, by county and crop year, to discount the effect of indemnities caused by widespread adverse growing conditions. Adjustments are determined as follows:

(1) Determine the average yield for the county using the annual county crop yields for the previous 20 crop years, unless such data is not available;

(2) Determine the normal variability in the average yield for the county, expressed as the standard deviation;

(3) Subtract the result of §400.303(d)(2) from §400.303(d)(1);

(4) Divide the annual crop yield for the county for each crop year in the NCS base period by the result of §400.303(d)(3), the result of which may not exceed 1.0;

(5) Subtract the result of §400.303(d)(4) for each crop year from 1.0;

(6) Multiply the result of §400.303(d)(5) by the liability for the crop year; and

(7) Subtract the result of §400.303(d)(6) from any indemnity for that crop year.

(e) FCIC may substitute the crop yields of a comparable crop in determining §400.303(d) (1) and (2), or may adjust the average yield or the measurement of normal variability for the county crop, or any combination thereof, to account for trends or unusual variations in production of the county crop or if the availability of yield and loss data for the county crop is limited. Information about how these determinations are made is available by submitting a request to the FCIC Regional Service Office for the producer's area. Alternate methods of determining the effects of adverse growing conditions on insurance experience may be implemented by FCIC if allowed in the Special Provisions.

[55 FR 32595, Aug. 10, 1990, as amended at 62 FR 22876, Apr. 28, 1997]