USDA’s Risk Management Agency Administrator Martin Barbre is reminding producers who received a prevented planting “top-up” payment that they must purchase federal crop insurance for the next two crop years.
“It shouldn’t be an issue for most producers who got the top-up because they were getting crop insurance payments to start with so obviously, they’re using the program,” he says. “The only thing that comes into play with our big sales closing date on March 15 for our spring planted crops is farmers have to have that 2019 premium paid by then to remain eligible to buy crop insurance for 2020.”
Barbre says if the premium isn’t paid…“Then they go on an ineligible list and they won’t be able to buy crop insurance for 2020 and because they can’t meet the commitment they would have to pay the top-up back,” he says.
