CORTLAND, N.Y. — Due to the unique challenges of the 2019 growing season, the USDA Risk Management Agency has announced a one-time change to the 2019 crop year prevented planting rules. This change allows silage corn, if planted as a cover crop following local agricultural expert guidelines, to be allowed as a post-prevented planting cover crop as long as harvest takes place after Sept. 1. Under this one-time adjustment, producers may produce this crop while retaining their prevented planting payment.
“Many Northeast farmers have been significantly impacted by the recent wet planting conditions with many acres either prevented or late planted. Crop insurance will play an important role in assisting livestock farmers with purchasing replacement feed through the benefits provided by prevented planting coverage,” said Jeremy Forrett, vice president, Crop Growers, LLP.
“We’re pleased that Land Grant institutions from New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont recently recognized corn silage as an acceptable cover crop,” Forrett said. “This will provide much needed forage support to livestock farmers during this difficult period while maintaining prevented planting payments.”
Producers who would like to use a cover crop on prevented planting acres must obtain approval from their crop insurance adjuster prior to implementing any prevented planting management plan. All acres must be reported and signed up no later than July 15. Producers can hay, graze or cut cover crops for silage, haylage or baleage on prevented plant acres on or after Sept. 1 and still maintain eligibility for their full prevented planting indemnity.
Crop Growers, LLP, is an independent agency that sells and services crop insurance for 34 different crops through a nine state territory. Crop Growers is owned by Farm Credit East, in conjunction with other Northeast Farm Credit Associations. Producers do not need to be a Farm Credit customer to purchase crop insurance. Visit CropGrowers.com or contact the Crop Growers Customer Service Center at 1-800-234-7012 to learn more.
— Crop Growers, LLP