Claims Process

Mid Harvest Update

Harvest is underway, wheat is being planted, and the final cutting of hay is in the barn. This is an especially busy time of year, with many operations moving forward at full pace. As I write this, I am grateful for a dreary day that offers a brief respite from the season’s demanding schedule.

Grain Quality
I am receiving reports of quality concerns with this crop. Excessive rainfall has contributed to sprouting and mold, and quality losses may be covered under your crop insurance policy. There are two approaches for handling these losses. If your crop has aflatoxin, flooded grain, or fumonisin, stop harvesting and contact us immediately. These conditions must be assessed in the field while the crop is still standing. Other concerns, including kernel damage, vomitoxin, and low test weight, may be assessed in the bin or documented through settlement sheets. Kernel-damage discounts begin above 10% for corn and above 8% for soybeans. Vomitoxin discounts begin at levels above 5.0 ppm, and test-weight discounts begin below 49. These discounts are treated as a reduction in value, with a discount factor applied to your bushels. In most cases, these issues will not significantly affect your yield unless yields are already low. The deadline to submit claims, including claims involving quality issues, is when harvest is complete or December 10th, the final date of your crop insurance policy. After these deadlines, a claim cannot be opened the following year if a quality issue is discovered when grain is removed from the bin.

 

2027 Wheat Deadline Date Final planting date October 20 th Wheat acreage reporting deadline December 15 th

2025 ARC and PLC payments are expected to be issued soon

Payments were announced last week for the 2025 crop. Producers will receive the highest payment from either ARC or PLC- expect your payment to arrive in your mail box soon.

 

Premiums
A reminder to pay your crop insurance premiums by November 30 to avoid an interest penalty.

 

2026 and 2027 ARC and PLC Enrollment
The FSA office may be contacting you to complete enrollment. Because these programs rely on county yield data, I recommend waiting until harvest is complete. For the 2026 crop year, we have an advantage because we should have a good idea how this year’s yields performed for the county at the time of signup on December 11th.   2027 ARC/PLC crop signup will commence on March 15th, 2027. 

 

Please be safe during this busy season & feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

We are here for you!