Lucas Clifton, Farmers First Services; LP33DE@yahoo.com
Many Delaware crops – including corn, grain sorghum, lima beans, soybeans and processing varieties of sweet corn and tomatoes – have an acreage reporting deadline of July 15 for crop insurance policies. Accurate acreage reporting and on-time reporting is important to an operation because:
1. The report is the basis for determining the amount of the insurance provided and the premium charged.
2. Once the deadline had been passed, changes may not be allowed to the acreage report.
3. The acreage report shows the crops you have planted, acreage prevented from planting, what ownership share you have in those crops, where the crops are located, how many acres you planted, the dates you planted them, what insurance unit they are located on, and the cultural practice followed (i.e., irrigated, double cropped, etc.). The more accurately these components are reported, the easier it will be to expedite possible claims in the future.
When reporting, make sure that your operation’s crop insurance and USDA Farm Service Agency reports are identical (you must provide written explanation of any differences). Also make sure that you receive and retain a signed copy of the reports that you file, as this is critical to correct any errors that may show up later.
About 8 to 10 weeks after you submit your acreage report, you will receive a Summary of Protection or Schedule of Insurance. This document summarizes your previous acreage report as it appears in the official records. Review it carefully to make sure that all entries are correct and match the copy of your signed acreage report that you initially provided to your insurance agent.
Differences between the summary and your signed acreage report can usually be corrected if you contact your agent and give notice of the error immediately upon receipt of the summary.