Excessive rainfall is emerging as a major source of crop insurance claims for Illinois farmers this growing season.
COUNTRY Financial Crop Claims Manager Dylan Houser says wind and hail claims remain near the company’s five-year average, but heavy rainfall and flooding have resulted in increased replant and production-loss claims.
Some farmers have replanted flooded acreage only to have those fields flooded again, potentially resulting in additional production losses at harvest.
Houser encourages farmers who suspect crop damage to file a claim as soon as possible, even if the problem appears limited to a single field. Farmers should also avoid harvesting damaged acreage before an insurance adjuster has inspected and measured the loss, as doing so without approval could jeopardize payments.
Farmers are also receiving additional time to pay crop insurance premiums. The USDA Risk Management Agency is allowing insurers to provide up to a 60-day extension for certain premiums and fees with billing dates between July 1 and Sept. 30.
An option allowing farmers to purchase an additional 5% of prevented planting coverage has also been reinstated.