Crop Insurance News:
IMPORTANT - CLAIMS & APPRAISALS
Most producers have been there before. No matter what you do during the growing season, sometimes Mother Nature just will not cooperate, and you are anticipating that your yields may fall below your guarantee. Obviously, this is not the situation you would like to be in, but that is why you purchased crop insurance to begin with. If you do find yourself in a claims situation, there are some important things to remember that can help the process go a lot more smoothly.
Insurance coverage generally begins at time of application or time of planting, whichever is later. The end of the insurance period is the earlier of destruction of the crop, final harvest of the crop, abandonment of the crop, or the end of the insurance period (October 31st for wheat). It is the insured’s responsibility to notify the insurance company within 72 hours of the initial discovery of the damage or production loss, but no later than 15 days after the end of the insurance period, even if the crop has not been harvested. A phone call to your crop insurance specialist can start the process, but it needs to be followed up in writing with a text or email. If you have a revenue protection policy and have a claim based on strictly price, the insurance company must be notified within 45 days of the harvest price announcement for the crop. The RMA is enforcing these rules and have been known to decline late filed claim requests and have even requested repayment from an insured for paid claims that were improperly filed.
Remembering these key points will help avoid any problems with your claim and make the process go that much better. As always, if you have questions based on what you’ve read, please contact your crop insurance specialist and they will be able to help you out.
END OF INSURANCE PERIOD
Insurance ends on each unit or part of unit at the earliest of:
• Total destruction of the crop
• Harvest
• Final adjustment of loss
• Applicable calendar date in the crop or special provisions
• Abandonment
• Or, as otherwise specified in the Crop Provisions
Provisions require a Notice of Loss (NOL) within 72 hours of damage discovery but not later than 15 days after the end of insurance period. Revenue losses must be submitted no later than 45 days after release of Harvest Price. It is the insured's responsibility to contact their crop insurance specialist if they have or think they have a loss.
CO-MINGLED PRODUCTION
Please be aware that any production from 2023 being carried over into the 2024 harvest needs to be measured or marked by an adjuster prior to adding the current year’s production. Added production needs to be kept separate by unit through bin markings. If you need a bin measurement, call your crop insurance specialist.
SWEET CHERRY INSURANCE CHANGE
Growers can now have optional units by type, where they can have independent coverage for canner and briner type Processing Sweet Cherries. Contact your specialty crop agent for more information.
ACREAGE & PRODUCTION REPORTS
It is the customer’s responsibility to report the crop that was planted in each section, the planting date, the percent share of that crop and the quantity harvested. Reporting your crop accurately and double checking everything is especially important. Corrections or changes cannot be made after the reporting deadline. If you have any questions or would like assistance, just contact your local GreenStone crop insurance team.
APPLE REMINDERS
November 20, 2024, is the sales closing deadline to change your current coverage or take out a new policy for the 2024 crop year. Premiums are not billed to you until August 15, 2025, and are due September 30. Your current coverage will carry over for 2025 if you do not change anything in writing by November 20. January 15 is the acreage and yield reporting deadline for fruit. PLEASE REPORT ACRES AND PRODUCTION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! The County Transitional Yield (T-Yield) and 2025 prices have been recently announced. That information will be included in your renewal information later this year or, you can contact your crop insurance specialist for more details.
APH REVIEWS
The Risk Management Agency (RMA) threshold for an Actual Production History (APH) policy review is $200,000. An APH policy review is simply the process of verifying the accuracy of the insured reported production, share and acres. Accurate and complete records will simplify the process along with following these guidelines:
• Production records must be separated by crop, practice, type, unit, and the actual crop year.
• Records must be sorted by the 578 producer prints, settlement sheets and soft records.
• The insured must keep three years of production records.
• Daily livestock feeding should be recorded daily.
• Printed combine monitor records should be stored with settlement sheets.
• The insured cannot split truckloads, tickets, and bins between units without proper soft records for comingled production.
• Comingled production needs to be measured by a disinterested third party.
• The insured should keep original records and provide the Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) with copies.
Hard records are production records that prove the final disposition of the total crop and are verifiable by a third party. Soft records are the documents an insured must provide if production is separated by unit, practice, type, or variety. Soft records must include all units; missing or incomplete soft records may result in comingled production and the loss of optional units. This may result in a lower guarantee.
If you think you will be submitting a claim that will be above the $200,000 threshold, please contact your agent to begin the APH Review process. Most claims will not be paid until the review is completed. The earlier the process begins, the earlier a claim can be paid. For more details, please contact your local GreenStone crop insurance specialist. n
Crop Insurance Calendar...
OCTOBER
15- Forage Underwriting Report Signature Due Date
25- Wheat Final Plant Date*
31- End of Insurance Period (loss reporting deadline) for Fall Crops
31- Final Claim Reporting Date for Dry Beans
NOVEMBER
5- End of Insurance Period (loss reporting deadline) for Apples
14- Michigan Wheat and Wisconsin Forage Production Reports Due
15- Wheat and Forage Acreage Reports and Wheat Production Reports Due - Wisconsin
15- Wheat and Forage Acreage Reports and Wheat Production Reports Due - Wisconsin
20- Fruit Acreage/Production Reports and Pre-Acceptance Worksheets Due
DECEMBER
10- End of Insurance Period (loss reporting deadline) for Spring Crops
15- Wheat Acreage Reports Due – Michigan
JANUARY
15- Fruit Acreage/Production Reports and Pre-Acceptance Worksheets Due
* Please note some dates can vary by County, especially in Wisconsin. Please check with your Specialist for specific dates if you are unsure.
To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
