Growing conditions looked favorable for 2024 when field work began. The rain arrived shortly after and didn’t let up in certain areas. Initial questions started rolling in on early plant dates for different crop varieties. More rain throughout May had farmers asking about what options exist if planting continues to get delayed. Thankfully, provisions within your multi-peril crop insurance policy (MPCI) can help.
Prevented planting (PP) is the failure to plant the insured crop acreage by the final plant date or by the end of the late planting period. A Notice of Loss must be filed with your crop insurance specialist within 72 hours after the final plant date of the PP crop or within 72 hours of when the farmer will no longer try to plant during the crop’s late planting period. The PP cause of loss must be common to the surrounding area. All PP acres should also be listed on the acreage report and cannot be added after an initial acreage report has been filed.
A PP claim is payable if it’s free of trees and rocky outcroppings, not enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), not planted to a perennial crop, and if it has not had any pasture or forage in the last four crop years. Acreage must also have been planted, harvested, and insured under your MPCI policy. Alfalfa that has an annual regrowth could be considered planted as long as it’s also harvested and insured in order to meet the one in four rule. Each crop must also meet the 20/20 rule, which takes the lesser of 20 acres or 20% of the unit. Optional units must meet requirements by unit while Enterprise Units can combine all units in a county.
PP coverage is based on the projected price, not harvest price. Coverage on most crops is 60% of the guarantee on planted acres. Select crops can increase the PP level by 5%. Here are some guarantees of note:
- 55% of guarantee for corn
- 50% of guarantee for dry beans
- 45% of guarantee for potatoes and sugar beets
We often get a lot of questions about PP coverage. Let’s explore some of the most common questions and answers.
What is my eligibility by crop/county?
PP eligibility is based on the highest insurable acreage both planted and prevented from being planted in one of the last four years. If all eligible acres of a crop have been used, the insurance company will roll the PP acres to the most similar paying PP crop.
I picked up a quarter of land after March 15, what do I have for PP eligibility?
Your coverage follows the ground, not the farmer. If it’s been fully planted, harvested, and insured in one of the last four years and a qualifying event occurs after the ground is added, all the acres should qualify as long as they meet the 20/20 rule based on unit structure. We would then use an added land factor to increase your eligible acres.
When can I plant a cover crop on the PP ground?
Refer to the chart below.
We always hope that all crops get planted, but PP coverage gives farmers ease of mind knowing they will be covered if they’re unable to complete planting. Contact your local AgCountry insurance specialist for more coverage details.
