Agricultural News
Important Crop Insurance Deadlines Looming on the Horizon
Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:34:28 CST
Important deadlines are rapidly approaching for crop insurance in Oklahoma. Scott Bulling, crop insurance coordinator for Oklahoma Farm Bureau, says producers need to take action soon to make sure they are protected.
March 15th is the deadline for producers to sign up for federal crop insurance for spring crops. That would include corn, soybeans, milo, cotton and peanuts. Bulling said it's important for producers of these crops to contact an agent immediately.
Bulling said producers have a couple of options this year for types of insurance. Most producers are aware of multi-peril policies. These do not guarantee against revenue loss, but do protect against natural disasters-drought, flood, freeze, hail, the usual sorts of things.
Another option that has grown in popularity, Bulling said, is the revenue policy. It is currently available for all crops except peanuts.
"The revenue policy has been very popular as of late, particularly with commodity prices at the levels that they are. I think it's certainly worth producers looking at to try and determine how best they can guarantee revenue per acre because clearly that's what we're all about," Bulling said. "It doesn't really matter how many bushels we harvest or how many or how many pounds that we harvest, it's how many dollars we harvest off that acre out there."
Another issue that producers should be aware of is that their eligibility for disaster assistance is tied to being insured through a federal crop insurance program.
Bulling urged producers to get with a crop insurance specialist and develop a plan. Even if they haven't made final decisions on the mix of crops they will ultimately plant due to weather considerations, they can list possible crops and make changes later.
"If you plant them, you're insured. If you don't, it won't cost you anything," he said.
March 15th is the deadline for spring crops and it's also the deadline for wheat producers who will be putting their crops to other uses. Bulling said farmers who have decided to hay some of their acres or graze them off need to contact their agents now. Deadlines are March 15th in the western part of the state and April 1st in the Panhandle.
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear Ron Hays' full interview with Scott Bulling.
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