In December 1988, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requested that the Economic Research Service (ERS) evaluate the Federal crop insurance program. E5e study addresses how the current crop insurance program functions as a risk management tool; the role of multiple-peril crop insurance (MPCI) offered through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) compared with other Government programs designed to assist the agricultural sector, such as price and income supports and disaster assistance; and the impact of alternative vehicles for providing disaster relief, including compulsory crop insurance, disaster assistance, and revenue insurance, on market prices, commodity program participation, and Treasury costs.