By Stewart Doan
© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
WASHINGTON, June 30 – USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) Administrator William Murphy Thursday revised prevent planting requirements for farmers in “prairie pothole states” affected by flooding in recent years.
Beginning with the 2012 crop year, a crop must be grown on the acreage at least one of the previous four years if a farmer wishes to qualify, RMA said.
The states of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota are covered by the change, made in response to listening sessions with producers in affected states.
All other policy provisions must also be met, the agency said.
"The requirement to be able to bring an insured crop to harvest in one of four years improves program integrity," said Murphy. "It also helps to meet the needs of farmers in the Prairie Pothole region, where some acreage has not been available to plant since the 2008 crop year due to flooding and excessive moisture conditions."
Actuarial documents filed for individual counties beginning with the 2012 crop year will include spring-seeded crops in counties with fall (winter and spring wheat coverage) sales closing dates.
The prevented planting guarantee for the crop ranges from 60 to 70 percent of the production guarantee for acreage timely planted by the final planting date. Options available to producers are outlined on the RMA website at http://www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/rme/ppflood.pdf
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