Hello All!
It’s the time of year for strange weather events, and the past several weeks have been true to form. With the warm, cold, hot, then cold and frost the crops, trees, vegetables, fruits and flowers don’t know what is up!
If you have noticed damages to your corn or soybeans due to the recent frost and you have federal crop insurance, you must report the damages to your insurance agent within 15 days from the date you notice the damages. Even if you are not sure what extent the frost damages entail, go ahead and open a 2013 claim by phoning your agent today.
Then if you have additional weather events during the growing season, you have documented this first event. Also, if you have purchased a 2013 insurance policy on your alfalfa fields, hay fields, pumpkins, sweet corn, fruits, or other vegetables and you have suffered any weather related damages (example: frost) you must call the FSA office where you purchased your policy and request a loss adjuster to document the damages before you do any destruction or replanting.
This phone call needs made within 15 days of when you notice or suspect any damage. These policies are called Noninsured Assistance Policies (NAP) and are only available through your local FSA office for crops that federal crop insurance will not cover.
If you are a NAP policy holder and you plant the same vegetable crop (example: sweet corn) multiple times during the summer and you hand-harvest these particular vegetables, you should call your local FSA when you are almost done harvesting your first planting to request a loss adjuster to document any production left in the field.
This is necessary to document all production before you work up the ground and replant the same crop a second time. If you have questions about your crop insurance policies, call the person who sold you the policy.
This is coverage you purchased, so understanding the provisions of your policy is of utmost importance. Your local FSA office staff will be glad to assist you.
That’s all for now,
FSA Andy
