With close to 80% of the corn fields in the state rated in poor to very poor condition, it is safe to say there will be a lot of crop insurance claims filed this year. Tom Sloma, vice president-crop insurance with Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, says talk to your crop insurance provider before you take any action, “There are a lot of farmers who are not sure what to do right now.” Approximately 75 percent of planted acres in Indiana and surrounding states are covered by some form of crop insurance. Crop insurance advisors at Farm Credit Mid-America remind growers to file claims with crop insurance agents before destroying crops. “Growers really need to talk to their agents prior to mowing, chopping, destroying or discing their crops,” says Sloma. “Failing to do so may cause delays or complications with the claims process.”
He advises that growers begin collecting paperwork in anticipation of a claim and that claims of over $200,000 may require a 1 year or 3 year review. He told HAT good communication between farmers and their agent is key, “They should be talking to their agent before making any decisions.”
FCS has put together some on-line resources to help growers. They can be found here.