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What if prevent plant is needed again in 2020?

A crop insurance claims manager says if wet conditions continue, claiming prevent plant should not be an issue again until 2021.

George Underwood with Rural Community Insurance Services (RCIS) tells Brownfield since 2019 was the first recent year of prevent plant for most farmers, if fields are impacted by flooding next year, prevent plant can be taken again in 2020.

“If the field never dried up then calming prevented planting next year won’t be an issue. If it does dry up then it’s a new cause of loss and it is not an issues then either. So, the only thing they have to be concerned about is if it’s an ongoing cause of loss then they can only claim prevented planting for two years in a row.”

Underwood says in the unlikely event that fields remain wet through the 2021 season, the benefits of prevent plant could run out for some farmers.

He recommends farmers review their 2019 policy with their lenders to see if any coverage adjustments need to be made.

Brownfield interviewed Underwood at the 2019 NAFB Convention.