Using Crop Insurance After a Storm
Bad weather can be a major challenge for farmers. Freezing, flooding, and high winds can destroy crops and greatly diminish the ability of an agricultural business to survive. Recognizing the importance of farms in providing food for society, crop insurance is a widely used tool to protect yields. The government will heavily subsidize this protection in certain areas. In addition, crop insurance can be used when fluctuations in the cost of goods and services impacts income. Given the recent trend of extreme weather, MG Insurance, Inc. in Willmar, MN explains how to use your crop insurance after a storm in this week’s blog post.
How to Best Utilize Crop Insurance
Farmers need an incentive to protect their crops, so they must follow strict protocols to be eligible to file a claim. Work with an insurance professional, like MG Insurance, to make sure you’re properly covered before planting. We will help you look at covered production guarantee, insured acres, coverage level, elected options or endorsements. In addition, it’s important to take steps to properly plant crops and protect them against the elements. Prior to the storm’s arrival, you want to ensure you have thorough documentation, including contemporaneous records, and safe storage for your papers. Your adjustor should already have on file your actual production history and Farm Service Agency documents.
Filing a Claim After Disaster Strikes
File a claim within 72 hours of finding damages that impact your crop yield. Submit this in writing and keep a copy for yourself. Once this is done, the insurer will send a claim adjuster to inspect your crop. This person is in charge of determining whether your loss of revenue falls within limits established by your policy.
Use caution if you attempt to alter, replant, or destroy your crop before it gets inspected by the claims adjuster. Doing so may forfeit your claim. Even if you intend to take the crop to harvest, you still need to file a claim if you wish to get revenue losses covered. If you do for any reason need to alter the crop, contact your insurer. Continue to maintain the crop until it is inspected. Try and avoid replanting, discing, or plowing until the claim adjuster releases the crop.
Other Crop Insurance Factors to Consider
Dates are set for your local area as to the final planting dates or late planting periods in order for your crop to be insured. If weather interferes with these dates, then your adjustor will utilize storm data and look at neighboring farms to determine if you have an eligible crop. You should contact your insurer to report if you were not able to plan within dates specified by your insurance policy. At MG Insurance, Inc. in Willmar, MN we are here to help you find the best coverage and navigate all the weather challenges as a farmer. Contact our team today for assistance!
