* July 15th is the acreage reporting deadline for crop insurance and to report acres to your local FSA office *
Everyone’s said it and everyone’s heard it – WE NEED RAIN!! With a majority of our Loan Servicing Area in moderate drought conditions or worse, we are in desperate need of precipitation. There have been a few spotty showers to give producers some hope and hold the drought condition stable, but it hasn’t been enough. As the crops progress towards pollination, the need for precipitation has become even more urgent. At this stage, corn can require up to one inch of rain per week to optimize bushels. And even producers with irrigation have received word from officials that irrigator use will be limited or completely shut off in the coming weeks to protect the water table. With the weather forecast calling for continued hot and dry days ahead, producers have voiced concern about not having a crop this fall.
With the potential for crop losses during harvest, an accurate acreage report is of the highest importance. Submitting a timely and accurate acreage report is important every year, but especially when we already know there is potential for harvest claims. If there is misreported information on the acreage report at loss time, liability CANNOT be increased. This can negatively impact any claim payments.
When you receive a copy of your Schedule of Insurance from your agent, take the time to review for accuracy. Here is a list of items to verify:
- Correct crop, type and acres planted to the field
- Non-irrigated vs. irrigated
- Planted acreage vs. prevent plant acreage
- Plant date
- Share % and Shareholder
If you see any errors or discrepancies, contact your AgCountry crop insurance agent immediately! Correcting the misreported information will require a revised acreage report and a new signature. Some changes may be subject to approval and appraisal by the insurance company. Getting any errors corrected now is crucial as changes may be denied later on due to deteriorating crop conditions.
It is also important to be sure to accurately report your crop and acreage information to your local county Farm Service Agency office. With the drought conditions we are in, there is potential for some type of disaster payment in the future. With FSA programs pulling crop insurance information from the Risk Management Agency, you can avoid payment delays by ensuring your 578’s match your reported crop insurance acreage.
Take the time now to review your Schedule of Insurance; you will thank yourself later.
