The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farmers experiencing harvest delays in South Dakota, North Dakota and seven other states who participate in federal crop insurance programs should contact their insurance agent to request more time to harvest.
Producers must file a Notice of Loss with their Approved Insurance Provider and request more time to harvest before the end of the insurance period, so federal crop insurance claims are settled based on the amount of harvested production. The end of the insurance period for crops such as spring-planted wheat and barley is Oct. 31 and for corn and soybeans is Dec. 10.
AIPs may allow additional time to harvest, on a case-by-case basis, when all of these conditions are met:
• The producer gives timely notice of loss to his or her crop insurance agent.
• The AIP determines and documents that the delay in harvest was due to an insured cause of loss.
• The producer demonstrates that harvest was not possible due to insured causes, such as wet conditions preventing access to the field with equipment or that harvesting under such conditions would damage equipment.
• The delay in harvest was not because the producer did not have sufficient equipment or manpower to harvest the crop by the end of the insurance period.
When an AIP authorizes additional time to harvest:
• The end of the insurance period is not extended. Rather, the producer is granted additional time to attempt to harvest the crop to settle any loss based on harvested production.
• Any additional damage to the insured crop during the extension period is covered provided it is due to an insurable cause of loss like excessive moisture.
• The producer’s crop insurance policy will cover loss of quality (as specified in the crop provisions),
reduced yields, and revenue losses if revenue coverage was chosen.
• The cost of drying the harvested crop is not covered.
Producers in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming are also eligible to request more time because of extremely wet and snowy conditions this fall.
More information on requesting assistance due to delayed harvest is available on RMA’s website.
