Extremely wet or snowy conditions have delayed harvest for a number of farmers nationwide. In some cases, the moisture content is so high the crop cannot be physically harvested with normal harvesting equipment. With the end of the insurance period December 10 for most spring planted crops, farmers need to know actions they can take with regards to their crop insurance coverage.
Monday, December 10 is the crop insurance delayed harvest cutoff. At this point, there are many Hoosier farmers who still have corn and soybeans in the field. USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey said this is a problem nationwide, “We have harvest delayed in spots around the country. There are quite a few producers who have not been able to finish.”
Northey recommended that producers who have been prevented from finishing harvest need to contact their crop insurance provider, “They need to get in touch with their crop insurance agent and let them know they have not been able to finish but that they intend to harvest the crop that is still in the field. On a case-by-case basis, the company can give them an exemption that will allow them to finish their harvest.” He added these exemptions are not for folks who just haven’t gotten around to it yet, “This is for folks who have made every effort to harvest their crop, but the weather has prevented them from finishing up.”
Northey said, if you don’t contact your crop insurance agent and cannot get your crop in by the deadline, you could lose coverage. “There is a danger of not being able to get that part of the crop covered or considered abandoned,” he stated. “In that case, that loss would not be credited to them.” While this happens most years, Northey said there are more producers involved this year than in a typical year.
More information on requesting assistance due to delayed harvest is available on the USDA Risk Management Agency website. https://www.rma.usda.gov/