Live Insurance News

Crop insurance payouts break records and spark debates

March 25, 2013April 30, 2013

Widespread drought across Iowa and other Midwest states lead to massive payments from the program. The droughts throughout the 2012 growing season will have generated an estimated record level of payments, reaching $16 billion, which has led critics to call for changes to the government subsidy system. They feel that the taxpayers are paying for an inefficient subsidy and the government can’t afford it. Farmers and growers purchase their crop insurance from private insurers. That said, those policy premiums are subsidized by the federal government, and losses over certain levels…

Crop insurance study shows coverage saved thousands of jobs

March 16, 2013April 30, 2013

It is believed that employment was maintained for 17,000 people in Iowa and Nebraska due to the protection. The results of a recent study have shown that the payouts from farms that had federally subsidized crop insurance generated an economic impact of an estimated $2.2 billion across a region of four states, and that it saved 17,000 jobs in Iowa and Nebraska, alone. The researchers who conducted the study were seeking to define the impact of the coverage on the state economies. The purpose of the research was to find…

Crop insurance payouts in Indiana reach new high

March 15, 2013April 30, 2013

The current estimate is that there have already been $1.04 billion paid out following the 2012 drought. The drought of 2012 left massive damage behind for farms throughout Indiana, and it is now estimated that the result of that devastation is over $1.04 billion in crop insurance payouts; a level that surpasses the payments from all previous years. This represents a massive loss in the state, particularly because one quarter of Indiana crops are uninsured. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released these statistics this week, highlighting the damage that…

Crop insurance program changes are supported by some farmers

February 28, 2013April 30, 2013

Some growers in Kansas are giving the nod to a bill that would decrease newly converted land subsidies. Although it would be natural to expect that farmers would be entirely against legislation that would place a tougher limit on crop insurance subsidies, there are some that are expressing their belief that the move is indeed designed to protect their interests over the long term. The changes to the subsidies would mean a reduction for grasslands that had not previously been agriculture space. These changes have to do with the Protect…

Crop insurance deadline for spring seeded plants is approaching

February 25, 2013April 30, 2013

Maryland farmers are being reminded that the last day for purchasing coverage is nearly here. Farmers in Maryland have been issued a reminder by the state’s Department of Agriculture, in order to make sure that they are aware of the fact that if they want to buy crop insurance for spring seeded crops – or alter the coverage that they already have – they will need to do so by the deadline of March 15. Some of the types of plant that are included in this coverage include soybeans, corn,…