Live Insurance News

President Obama proposes cuts to crop insurance

February 19, 2016February 18, 2016 S.Vagus

2017 budget plan aims to cut $18 billion in funding for the Department of Agriculture President Barack Obama has proposed a budget plan for 2017 that could have a major impact on farmers throughout the country. These farmers rely on crop insurance to protect them from the financial implications of natural disasters and underproduction, but this form of coverage has become a financial burden on the country. Obama has proposed to cut some $18 billion in funding for crop coverage offered through the Department of Agriculture over the next 10…

North Dakota crop insurance changes promote diversification

December 30, 2015December 29, 2015 Julie Campbell

Officials are hoping that education will help to boost farmer willingness to diversify the plants they grow. In North Dakota, officials are hoping that changes to the crop insurance program will help to educate farmers in order to encourage them to diversify the plants they choose to grow. Whole farm insurance coverage first became available in North Dakota during the last growing season. While there weren’t any whole farm crop insurance policies sold, the officials from the Department of Agriculture believe that when they learn about what the coverage has…

New crop insurance program to protect Indian farmers from cost of damage

December 29, 2015December 27, 2015 H. Cutner

The new strategy will be launched early in 2016 and will use technology to assess damage to fields. In what might turn out to be the first major step taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in addressing rural struggles, a crop insurance program is set to launch in early 2016 in order to help to protect farmers against the costs of damage to their fields and, therefore, their revenues. The program will use technology such as drones in order to conduct more accurate damage assessments. Over the last few…

Zurich insurance company reveals a new tactic in $1 billion deal

December 22, 2015December 22, 2015 H. Cutner

The insurer that suffered striking losses last year and backed out of potential agreements has a new strategy. The Zurich insurance company has now come up with a new strategy to help to recover from a rough period throughout 2014 to 2015 and has revealed that it intends to spend over $1 billion in the purchase of an American agricultural insurer. This is a component of the insurer’s new strategy for acquisitions after having stepped back from RSA in the U.K. Earlier in December, the insurance company’s CEO chose to…

Cutting the crop insurance subsidies is proving to be challenging

December 1, 2015November 28, 2015 H. Cutner

It is now expected that part of the reductions in subsidized coverage for growers will be repealed. Back in April, Republicans in Congress formed a new agreement in order to move ahead on a plan that was designed to create a savings of $5 trillion over the next ten years, and reductions in crop insurance subsidies were a part of this effort to balance the budget at the end of that time. However, as time has passed and the practical side of these insurance subsidy decreases plays out, it may…

Payments from crop insurance predicted to be lower this year

November 18, 2015November 17, 2015 Julie Campbell

As the soybean and corn seasons are coming to a close, producers are wondering about payouts due to price drops. The harvest season for soybeans and corn is now on its way to closing, and as 2015 wraps up, many farmers are starting to wonder if they will be receiving any payments from their crop insurance coverage, since the prices have been declining this year. Last year, many growers in northern Iowa and Minnesota saw yields considerably lower than typical. The lower than average yields, in combination with the reduced…

Crop insurance slashed through legislation for reducing expenses

November 13, 2015November 12, 2015 Julie Campbell

Growers may see reduced coverage levels in order to save taxpayers $24.4 billion over a decade. Two state representatives in Wisconsin have now introduced a bill called the Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures (AFFIRM) Act, which will slash crop insurance with the intention of providing taxpayers with savings over the next ten years. In the span of a decade, the insurance coverage cuts will mean $24.4 billion in expenses will be saved. According to farm subsidy program critic, Congressman Ron Kind (D), the crop insurance bill will still…