Springfield, Ill., June 1, 2022 — Cold, wet weather in the Midwest has delayed plans to plant or replant for some agricultural producers. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds producers concerned about getting their crop planted or needing to replant to talk with their crop insurance agent.

“It’s been a cold, wet spring for many farmers in the Midwest and though conditions and planting progress has improved, we still hear about challenges getting into the fields to plant or replant,” said Brian Frieden, USDA’s RMA Springfield Regional Office Director. “We recommend you stay in touch with your crop insurance agents, so you know all the options available. The Federal Crop Insurance Program has several options built in to address these situations.”

Producers unable to plant by the final planting date due to an insurable cause of loss may receive a prevented planting payment or receive a reduced insurance guarantee if they choose to plant within the late planting period. Additionally, producers may choose to plant a different crop with a later final planting date while still receiving a partial prevented planting payment. Learn more about prevented planting and replanting.

Producers with crop insurance may now hay, graze or chop cover crops at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment, provided the act of haying, grazing or chopping the cover crop did not contribute to the acreage being prevented from planting. RMA updated this policy in 2021 to support the use of cover crops, as an important conservation practice if producers are unable to plant a cash crop. Cover crops can reduce soil erosion and help re-establish soil health and create pathways for air and water to move through the soil. Learn more about their benefits.

For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers should contact their crop insurance agent. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator. If producers have additional questions, they can contact RMA’s Regional Office in Springfield at (217) 241-6600.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

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