Crop Insurance Options for Flooded NC & SC Fields

The copious amounts of rain in the Carolinas this spring have created havoc with wheat harvest and the planting of other crops. The planting window for soybeans is quickly closing, and the insurance deadline has passed for North Carolina. Scott Lucas, Director of the Raleigh Regional Office of the Risk Management Agency:

“The final plant date for soybeans in NC was June 30th. There are some options available for the producers. We have a 25 day late planting period and a 1% reduction per day of their yield guarantee. Producers have the option of receiving a prevented planting payment. Typically our weather has been such that prevented planting has not come into play, but this is an unusual year.”

But Lucas maintains that all is not lost when it comes to crop insurance:

“Our policies are based on a lot of individual practices, whether they are full season, or if they double crop. We are telling producers that if they were unable to plant the crop by the final plant date, contact their crop insurance agent and review their options. It will aid them in what decisions to make.”

Lucas explains that South Carolina’s soybean planting date has also passed:

“There are similar concerns there with a lot of rain, and a lot of wheat still in the field. Their final plant date was 15 days earlier than ours. But they also have a 25 day late planting period, so with the weather being decent recently they will have time to plant.”

So, bottom line says Lucas is to meet with your insurance professional to determine the best path for your operation:

“There are a lot of options, late planting and prevented planting.”

Director of the Raleigh Regional Office of the Risk Management Agency, Scott Lucas