The Risk Management Agency of the USDA is reminding farmers that they need to act soon, if they haven’t already.
A crop insurance reminder has been issued by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) at the USDA to growers in Alabama who intend to purchase coverage, as the deadline of September 30 is coming up quickly.
The deadline applies to the coverage available for a range of different types of crops in different counties.
For instance, the crop insurance deadline includes policies in Limestone County for canola, as well as for wheat and oats in a number of other counties. Any growers who intend to purchase, review, or alter their current coverage will need to do so before September 30. That is the sales closing date for this year, after which it will not be possible to buy, renew, or modify coverage for those crops.
Crop insurance companies provide coverage against several forms of loss that can occur during the year.
Among the most common types of coverage from these insurance policies is in the form of protection against natural perils such as excessive moisture, hail, and drought.
The USDA Service Centers has a list of the various insurance agents that are selling crop policies. These lists are also available through the RMA Agent Locator, online. This is meant to make it easy to find the insurance professional who will be able to assist with the purchase, renewal, or coverage modification that is needed before the deadline.
Growers also have another type of tool available to them in the form of the RMA Cost Estimator. This tool allows them to be able to obtain an estimate of what their premiums will be by entering some basic insurance coverage needs online. While the estimator does not provide an actual quote, it can be helpful in offering an idea of how much the premiums will be.
On its official website, the RMA provides additional information about crop insurance coverage and how it can be purchased. These resources can be consulted even before an agent is contacted, in order to provide a foundation of knowledge so that it will be easier to prepare for the questions that the insurance agent may have in identifying the right coverage for the coming growing season.
