Crop Insurance: Ensuring the Best Outcome

Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, nsbruce@udel.edu

Parts of Delmarva experienced significant storms this past Tuesday night. Some crops were impacted, and producers may be looking to file crop insurance claims. The first thing a farm should do in this situation, is follow all the rules. It is imperative to check with the crop insurance agent before taking any action on impacted acres. Farms need to take notice of all rules before removing or destroying damaged crops. Delaware Cooperative Extension educators can help producers make informed decisions that do not result in a negative outcome for the year’s crop insurance claim. It is essential to understand all the fine print in your crop insurance policy. Because crop insurance can be tricky, it is imperative to get a professional interpretation. The policies of each crop insurance company may vary as to how and what a farm needs to do to keep eligibility intact. Just because a neighbors policy allows them to do one thing, does not mean the same can be done for your damaged crop. Talk to your crop insurance agent before doing anything to remove a weather damaged crop.

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) website has some excellent resources and information on crop insurance. In addition, Texas A&M has published a crop insurance policy terms and definitions sheet to enable better understanding of policies. Links to both websites are listed below:

USDA RMA: https://www.rma.usda.gov/

Texas A&M Crop Insurance Terms and Definitions: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/marketing-risk-management/crop-insurance-terms-and-definitions/