Contributed by Steve Johnson, Extension Farm Management Field Specialist.
The 2011 growing season saw extreme weather conditions that will likely result in yield variability across the Corn Belt, even within a field. A large number of producers have already filed loss claims with their crop insurance agents and are expecting to receive indemnity payments following harvest.
Special attention to detail prior to and during harvest is recommended to maximize your future crop insurance coverage and obtain potential loss payments for 2011.
Consider these 7 reminders:
- Notify your crop insurance agent before destroying or chopping corn for silage.
- Contact your agent within 72 hours after discovering damage to a crop.
- Keep production records so that yields for each unit can be separated (including yield monitor data).
- Mark production records and scale tickets by unit, farm name or specific reference.
- Keep track of feed records from 2011 production.
- Report your actual production history (APH) for each unit to your crop insurance agent immediately following harvest.
- Crop insurance loss payments are reportable income in the year received, but can be deferred. Check with your income tax preparer regarding deferring these payments.
Always practice good communication skills with your crop insurance agent and notify them of any questions you might have. Find more on Crop Insurance on the Ag Decision Maker web site.
Ag Decision Maker (AgDM)
An agricultural economics and business web site.
