Crop insurance deadline looms

Sales closing dates for purchasing crop insurance with winter coverage for fall-planted wheat, barley, dry peas and lentils is Oct. 1.

Dave Paul, regional director for USDA Risk Management Agency, urged farmers to make their federal crop insurance decisions before the closing date.

For barley and wheat there are three basic coverage choices: Yield protection based on the projected price, revenue protection based on the higher of either the projected or harvest price and then revenue projection with harvest price exclusion which is based on the projected price and only downside protection with yield protection.

Paul urged farmers to have their insurance agents factor the three coverage options and the three unit structure choices, then consider the cost and the pros and cons of each of the options.