New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today urged farmers to review their crop insurance options, which can protect them from crop vulnerabilities such as unpredictable weather and pest outbreaks. 

The March 15 crop insurance deadline applies to most spring-planted field crops, including corn, corn silage, dry beans, barley, oats, soybeans, fresh market sweet corn, forage seeding and production, grain sorghum, potatoes, spring forage seeding, processing green peas, fresh market and processing snap beans, and processing tomatoes, cabbage and sweet corn.  Producers interested in purchasing crop insurance or changing their coverage should contact a crop insurance agent as soon as possible. 

“Crop insurance is a great resource that can provide farmers with a level of assurance against adverse weather, disease and market fluctuations,” said Commissioner Aubertine. “Producers need to act quickly because the deadline to purchase these policies is rapidly approaching.”

In 2011, 6,070 producers purchased crop insurance in New York and 1,335 (21 percent) received crop insurance payments totaling over $46 million. Figures for 2012, compiled by the USDA Risk Management Agency, are incomplete at this time. 

The USDA can also improve crop insurance options from year to year.  This year, a newly available feature of crop insurance for grain corn, called “Trend Adjustment,” may allow farmers to increase their coverage without paying a higher premium. In addition, those who wish to insure processing snap beans may now be able to do so if they have grown soybeans because soybeans have been designated a “similar” crop for the purposes of insuring through a written agreement.  Just last year, coverage levels for corn and soybeans were increased to 80% and 85%, respectively.  In 2011, soybean crop insurance became available in 38 counties when 17 counties were added for coverage.

Crop insurance is made available by county. A list of crop insurance agents who sell crop insurance in your county is available on the web at http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html or at your local USDA Farm Service Agency office. Or call NYSDAM at 800-554-4501 and ask for crop insurance information.