Barbre Highlights Prevented Planting Changes

A task force led by the Risk Management Agency convened this spring to discuss and recommend improvements to prevented plating crop insurance. RMA Administrator Marin Barbre, said the results are improvements that recently took effect and are available for the 2021 crop year.

"We're seeing some places in the country where prevent plant was becoming sort of a norm, and felt like the thing to do was just make the one in four nationwide so that's what we've done."

Barbre was referring to a provision in the prairie pothole region requiring producers to plant, insure, and harvest acreage in at least one of the four recent crop years for eligibility.  Additional modifications create flexibilities regarding second crop plantings after a first crop prevented planting on the same acreage. For instance, a previous rule changed the type of prevented plant field once a second plating occurred.

"We encourage producers to go ahead and plant a second crop if they didn't get that first crop planted without being penalized for the extra acreage in that field that they don't get planted. Just another flexibility."

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com