HARRISBURG, Pa. — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding urged producers to protect their investments from rising input costs, unstable markets and adverse weather conditions by signing up before the March 15 deadline for crop insurance coverage on spring-planted crops.
Crop insurance is an important tool among producers’ risk management options. March 15 is the deadline for modifying and finalizing policies, including the amount of crop covered, the value at which it is insured, and the loss percentage at which insurance kicks in.
“Volatile markets and Mother Nature’s unpredictability can ruin a farm financially, but crop insurance can provide the safety net that helps your operation bounce back from a bad year,” said Redding. “Time is short. Meet with a crop insurance agent now ahead of March 15 to determine the right risk protection for your crops and cash flow needs.”
Noninsured crop disaster Assistance Program coverage, available through the Farm Service Agency for crops that are not covered by crop insurance, must also be completed by March 15. Local Farm Service Agency offices, rather than crop insurance agents, assist with NAP.
Whole-Farm Revenue Protection provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on a farm — like specialty and organic crops and livestock, or for diversified local- and direct-market operations — under one insurance policy. The enrollment deadline is also March 15.
“Pennsylvania has been a leader in crop insurance since the concept was developed at the federal level,” Redding said. “Crop insurance programs authorized through the 2014 Farm Bill may expire after this year. As the 2018 Farm Bill is developed in Washington, Pennsylvania will continue to advocate for protection options to help our producers manage the variables of an inherently risky profession.”
Contact a crop insurance agent for more details on all program deadlines and other risk management protection information. An agent and the local FSA office can help producers better understand what programs or combinations of programs will work best for their operations.
For more information, contact risk management specialist Jordan Stasyszyn at 717-787-6901 or visit www.cropinsurancepa.com. For your nearest FSA office, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pa and click “county offices” or call 717-237-2117.
— Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture