Crop insurance spring closing date

[February 05, 2014]  SPRINGFIELD — Producers of spring-planted crops in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio who are interested in buying crop insurance or making a change to an existing policy can do so until the March 15 sales closing date.

Crop insurance can protect producers from natural disasters that affect crop yields and revenues. Producers have a number of coverage choices, including yield coverage, revenue protection and area risk policies. Revenue protection safeguards a producer from yield losses and price movement. Area risk plans replace the group plans of insurance, known as GRP and GRIP, and offer coverage based on county yield data, where available.

Brian Frieden, director of the Springfield office of the USDA Risk Management Agency, urges producers to contact a crop insurance agent for details. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents.

Agents can help producers determine what policy works best for their operation and review current policyholders' existing coverage to ensure the policy meets their needs. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers or on the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/.

[Text from file received from USDA Risk Management Agency, Springfield]