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Episode 37 | Crop Insurance Deadlines, Cover Crops, and Pandemic Relief by Illinois Extension
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction podcast explores efforts to reduce nutrients in Illinois waterways from agricultural runoff to municipal wastewater with host Todd Gleason and producers Rachel Curry, Nicole Haverback and Luke Zwilling with University of Illinois Extension.
Read the blog at extension.illinois.edu/nlr/blog.
Episode 37 | Crop Insurance Deadlines, Cover Crops, and Pandemic Relief
00:00:05:00 - 00:00:43:02
Todd Gleason
This is the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, episode 37. Crop insurance deadlines, cover crops, and pandemic relief. I'm Illinois Extension's Todd Gleason. We know agricultural producers who have coverage under most crop insurance policies are eligible for a premium benefit. That's right, a premium benefit from the United States Department of Agriculture. If they planted cover crops during this crop year, the pandemic cover crop program, or PCCP, offered by USDA's Risk Management Agency, RMA, helps farmers maintain their cover crop systems despite the financial challenges posed by the pandemic.
00:00:43:04 - 00:01:07:14
Todd Gleason
Now, the PCCP is part of the USDA's Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative, a bundle of programs to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of Covid 19 market disruptions. However, Brian Frieden, the director of the RMA’s regional office in Springfield, Illinois, says there is a hitch in this one program. The reporting date to be eligible for the Cover crops benefit.
00:01:07:14 - 00:01:13:06
Todd Gleason
Part of crop insurance is a month earlier than regular acreage reporting dates.
00:01:13:08 - 00:01:38:10
Brian Frieden
And that date is, like you said, earlier than their normal reporting day, which is June 15th. July 15th is typically the reporting day for crop insurance and for FSA and what this program does. It provides premium support for producers who have crop insurance and planted cover crops, either, typically late summer or fall of 2020.
00:01:38:12 - 00:01:45:25
Brian Frieden
So the premium support is $5 per acre on acres planted to a cover crop and then insured this spring.
00:01:46:02 - 00:01:53:00
Todd Gleason
Again, the reporting day to receive the cover crops benefit $5 an acre is this month, June the 15th.
00:01:53:02 - 00:02:03:02
Brian Frieden
The good news is that automatically receive the benefit if they file a report of acreage at the 578 with their local FSA office.
00:02:03:04 - 00:02:26:03
Brian Frieden
So and they'll just need to to get an appointment. Obviously there's still some, Covid, staffing limitations, but if they can contact, call their FSA office up for an appointment and get that at least the cover crops reported. That information will make them eligible for this this discount.
00:02:26:06 - 00:02:35:24
Todd Gleason
Again, that's form FSA dash 578, 578. Brian Frieden says the form is fairly simple to fill out.
00:02:35:26 - 00:03:01:17
Brian Frieden
So, on there, 578 is typically what they would normally report, the cover crop type or variety and the number of acres of the cover crop. And then a map with the boundaries for the cover crop, planting dates, planting patterns, producer share. And then if it would, if it's irrigated or non irrigated.
00:03:01:20 - 00:03:04:21
Todd Gleason
Now the PCCP provides premium support to producers.
00:03:04:21 - 00:03:31:19
Todd Gleason
It's really a discount who insured their spring crop with most insurance policies and planted a qualifying cover crop during the 2021 crop year. The premium support is $5 an acre, but no more than the full premium owed. Illinois, Indiana and Iowa have some existing programs for producers to receive a premium benefit for planting cover crops, and in those states, participating producers will receive this as an additional benefit.
00:03:31:21 - 00:04:04:07
Todd Gleason
All cover crops reportable to FSA or eligible and include cereals and other grasses, legumes, brassicas and other non legume broad leaves and mixtures of two or more cover crop species planted at the same time. However, certain crop insurance policies are not eligible because they have an underlying coverage which would already receive the benefit or are not designed to be reported in a manner consistent with the report of acreage form FSA 578. PCCP is not available.
00:04:04:07 - 00:04:12:07
Todd Gleason
For instance, on the whole Farm Revenue Protection policy and some other crop insurance programs, says Brian Frieden.
00:04:12:07 - 00:04:33:05
Brian Frieden
So the reason they're certain policy is they're not eligible. Because either the they've already received that benefit or they're can't be designated to and reported consistent with how the 578 is set up. So whole farm like you said, supplemental coverage option, enhanced coverage option.
00:04:33:07 - 00:04:49:11
Brian Frieden
So these are all and margin protection where they're basically on top of an existing policy. So those underlying policies are eligible. But what sits on top of those are not. And whole farm. That is obviously a separate policy and it's not reported that way, so.
00:04:49:13 - 00:04:57:13
Todd Gleason
Again the PCCP is not available for whole farm revenue protection policies, ECO, or enhanced coverage option policies.
00:04:57:16 - 00:05:33:18
Todd Gleason
Hurricane insurance protection, wind index and supplemental coverage option or SEO, stacked income protection, stacks, and margin protection, MP policies, are only eligible for PCCP when insurer as a standalone policy, stacks and MP endorsements to underlying policies are not eligible for PCCP, just contact the FSA office. You'll need to do that anyway to report by June the 15th to find out your eligibility status and fill out the FSA dash 578 form.
00:05:33:25 - 00:05:53:25
Todd Gleason
Again, PCCP does not change acreage reporting dates, those come July the 15th, or reporting requirements or any other items and terms for your regular crop insurance policies. Nor will you get a check for the PCCP. It is a discount on the premium for those policies, says Frieden.
00:05:54:02 - 00:06:06:03
Brian Frieden
FCIC and the crop insurance companies will account for that amount when they calculate the total premium, and then when the crop insurance companies will adjust those those bills accordingly.
00:06:06:03 - 00:06:08:03
Brian Frieden
When those bills are sent out in August
00:06:08:03 - 00:06:20:07
Todd Gleason
For farmers in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, where there is a separate state run cover crop crop insurance program, the discounts will be. In addition to those programs.
00:06:20:09 - 00:06:39:13
Brian Frieden
The states have done an excellent job with those programs where they have partnered with RMA for these discounts. So the premium support or the $5 per acre, that they get here is in addition to what they may get through some of these state or other programs that are out there.
00:06:39:17 - 00:06:59:04
Brian Frieden
So we just want to make sure that for a producer that that has signed up and ended up getting accepted for those state programs, that they'll also get this. And if they've reported, they should have that and that information should be there, but they may want to make sure that everything is in place.
00:06:59:04 - 00:07:15:21
Todd Gleason
Oh, and that in place, as Brian Frieden again, who's the director of the regional office for RMA in Springfield, Illinois, also means that after June the 15th, those July 15th, rates and other crop insurance reporting requirements remain in place.
00:07:15:24 - 00:07:43:13
Brian Frieden
Now, I think the important thing, is producers, you know, if they do have cover crops and they've got crop insurance. So go ahead and and contact FSA and get that. Those cover crop acres reported by June 15th and also USDA and RMA have a news release and frequently asked questions address. You know some of the things that producers might, consider when they're, they're trying to get this done.
00:07:43:13 - 00:07:50:11
Brian Frieden
So we just want to make sure that the short timeline that producers, take advantage of this program.
00:07:50:13 - 00:08:11:10
Todd Gleason
The web address for more information, by the way, is very simple. It's farmers.gov. That's farmers.gov. If you scroll down under coronavirus updates the first thing you should find is pandemic cover crop program. Well, you've been listening to episode 37 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast.
00:08:11:10 - 00:08:25:14
Todd Gleason
Crop insurance deadlines cover crops and pandemic relief. The program has produced in conjunction with the Illinois Extension Watershed Outreach Associates, Jennifer Jones and Rachel Curry. I'm Illinois Extension's Todd Gleason.