Alfalfa Seed

Irrigated alfalfa seed is insurable if grown solely for harvest as certified forage seed under certification standards of a certifying agency or grown under a forage seed contract.

The policy does not cover a forage seed crop that:

• Is interplanted with another crop;
• Exceeds the earlier of the maximum age of stand stipulated by the originator of the certified seed or the fifth and succeeding crop year after the crop year of initial seeding;
• Used for any purpose during the crop year other than for seed production; or
• Does not have an adequate stand at the beginning of the insurance period as shown below.

You are protected against the following:

• Adverse weather;
• Earthquake;
• Failure of irrigation water supply, if caused by an insured peril during the insurance year;
• Fire;
• Insect damage and/or plant disease; unless you have insufficiently or improperly applied pest or disease control measures;
• Volcanic eruption; or
• Wildlife.

Unless solely and directly caused by an insurable cause of loss listed above, the following will not be insurable:

• Crop not being timely harvested;
• Insufficient supply of pollinators;
• Failure of certification standard or seed contract acceptance caused by failure to follow proper isolation requirements or inadequate weed control; or
• Failure of certification standard or seed contract acceptance due to failure to follow all other certification or contract requirements.

Insurance begins on acreage with an adequate stand on November 1 for fall-planted seed to seed and established stands and May 15 for spring-planted seed to seed. Insurance ends at the earliest occurrence of one of the following:

• Total destruction of the crop;
• Final adjustment of a loss on a unit;
• Abandonment of the crop;
• Harvest (removal of the seed from the windrow or field);
• The date grazing starts on the crop; or
• October 31.

In addition to the acreage reported by the acreage reporting date, you must supply:

• A copy of your forage seed contract for your contracted acreage; or
• If not contracted, a copy of the accepted certification application for your certified seed acreage.

The guarantee is measured in pounds of seed and based on the growers past production. Coverage levels range from 50 to 75 percent of your approved yield. Crop insurance premiums are subsidized as shown in the following table. For example, if you choose the 65-percent coverage level, your premium share would be 41 percent of the base premium.

Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) coverage is fixed at 50 percent of your approved yield and 55 percent of the price election. CAT is 100 percent subsidized with no premium cost to you. There is, however, an administrative fee of $300 per crop per county, regardless of the acreage.

Assume an average yield of 300 pounds per acre, 65 percent coverage, a contract price of $2.10, and 100 percent share.