Sometimes, no matter how much hard work and dedication you put in during the growing season, Mother Nature will not cooperate. If you are anticipating your yields may fall below your guarantee, just know many producers have been there before.
While this is not the situation you’d like to be in, crop insurance provides an added layer of protection to your risk-management plans. If you do find yourself having to make a claim, here are some important things to remember that can help the process go a lot more smoothly. Don’t lose out on a potential indemnity because notification was not given on a timely basis.
• Perils – Most naturally caused perils are included under multiple-peril crop insurance (MPCI) coverage. This includes but is not limited to adverse weather, failure of irrigation water supply, fire, insect damage or plant disease (unless you improperly or insufficiently applied pest or disease control measures) and wildlife damage. Those covered under Revenue Protection are also protected from a decline in market price as well.
• Timeframe – Insurance coverage generally begins at time of application or time of planting, whichever is later. The end of the insurance period is generally recognized as the earlier of total destruction of the crop, final harvest of the crop, abandonment of the crop or the end of the insurance period (which is December 10 for corn insured as grain and soybeans).
• Insured’s responsibilities – For planted crops, the insured must 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 yet been harvested. 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.
• Appraisals – If you are going to harvest your planted crop in any non-traditional manner, a crop appraisal needs to be completed, otherwise you may lose out on a potential indemnity payment. The most common time an appraisal is needed is when you’re going to chop corn for silage that is insured as grain. If you have a corn policy, any acreage that is not harvested traditionally as dry grain should be appraised. You should contact your crop insurance specialist at least one week in advance of when you are planning on harvesting, so an adjuster can come out and perform the appraisals while the crop is still in the field.
If you harvest before an adjuster can perform appraisals, representative sample strips must be left in the fields so the adjusters can use them for appraisals. The strips must be at least 10 feet wide and run the entire length of the field. If you do not agree with the appraisals you’ve gotten from the adjuster, do not sign them. Call your crop insurance specialist right away and we can have another adjuster come out and perform a second appraisal.
If you have any questions throughout your claims adjustment process, please contact your crop insurance specialist.
Updates:
Fresh Apple Reviews
This is a reminder that your fresh apple policy can be signaled out for a fresh review at any time during the year or at claims time. You will be asked to prove that you have sold your apples as fresh and at what price they were sold at. The requirement is that 50% or more were sold as fresh, at a fresh price in at least one out of the last four years. Call us if you need more information regarding what documents can be submitted and what needs to be on those documents. If you cannot prove fresh sales, RMA requires your apples to be changed to processing for the current crop year.
Hail Insurance
It’s not too late to purchase hail insurance for 2025. Hail is a separate policy from your multi-peril crop insurance coverage. As a bonus, your hail policy can provide coverage for fire, lightning, vandalism/malicious mischief and transit to the first place of storage. Rates and coverage can vary by crop and county. Keep in mind, hail insurance must be purchased before damage occurs. Contact your crop insurance specialist today to set up an appointment to review your options.
Important Date Reminder
Late fees will be charged on any unpaid premium on October 1. Please make note of this important change as late fees cannot be waived. If you cannot pay your premium before the due date, please contact your contact your Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) to make payment arrangements. Payment is due regardless of whether you have an outstanding claim.
2025 Fall Wheat & Forage Claims
Appraisals are required when a customer plans to do something with the crop other than harvest in the normal manner. If you do not plan to take your wheat/forage to harvest, we must appraise the acres prior to destruction.
Forage Production
If you think you may be facing a forage production loss, make sure to contact your specialist to file a claim. If you didn’t have forage insurance for the 2025 crop year and are interested in coverage for 2026, the sales close date is the same as wheat, September 30.
Alert Before You Chop!
It won’t be long until it’s time to fill the bunker silo. Before chopping corn for silage, please call and arrange for an appraisal ahead of time. Every effort will be made to have your crop appraised before you chop. Otherwise, you will be instructed on how to leave samples in your field for later evaluation.
To view the summer 2025 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
