Growers Encouraged to File Crop Insurance Claims by October 15

**ATTENTION**

Many Wisconsin potato growers will not have completed harvest by the Crop Insurance deadline of October 15. Growers who believe that the current conditions might prevent them from meeting the harvest deadline should contact their crop insurance agent immediately and discuss the situation with them. Agents are very likely to understand the grower’s options for postponing the final evaluation of loss beyond the harvest deadline. Growers who are concerned about the possibility of an extended harvest increasing the likelihood of an economic loss should file a claim prior to the harvest deadline of October 15. That can essentially preserve the options to receive a payment if a loss occurs.

Dear Growers:

The WPVGA has been working with the National Potato Council and RMA on issues related to crop insurance and this year’s late harvest conditions. Please click here to read the attached letter as well as the message below from NPC CEO John Keeling.

Best Regards,

Tamas Houlihan
Executive Director
WPVGA

Message from John Keeling:

After a number of discussions with RMA on the issue of procedures for addressing the inability to conduct a normal harvest due to weather and the potential impact of harvest deadlines identified in the Federal Crop Insurance Northern Potato Crop Provisions we have concluded the following:

RMA cannot modify the specific harvest deadline dates identified in the Northern Potato Crop Provisions. There are provisions in the RMA Loss Adjustment Manual (LAM) that provide the claims adjuster with the ability to postpone a final decision on a claim where conditions beyond the growers control prevent the crop from being harvested by the established deadline. Use the link below to view the language providing adjuster with that option. When you open the link look in the table of contents for Part 7 Types of Inspection. Then find 702 Final inspections and read Part B “End of Insurance Period”.
https://www.rma.usda.gov/-/media/RMAweb/Handbooks/Loss-Adjustment-Standards—25000/Loss-Adjustment-Manual-Handbook.ashx

Crop harvest Deadlines:
October 15—CO, MI, MN, MT, ND, and WI
October 20 – ME
October 31—CA, ID, NM, NY, OR, PA and WA

What should growers do? Based on what we heard from RMA growers who believe that the current conditions might prevent them from meeting the harvest deadline should contact their Crop Insurance Agent and discuss the situation with them. Agents are very likely to understand the grower’s options for postponing the final evaluation of loss beyond the harvest deadline. According to RMA growers who are concerned about the possibility of an extended harvest increasing the likelihood of an economic loss should file a claim prior to the harvest deadline. That can essentially preserve the options to receive a payment if a loss occurs.

John Keeling
Executive VP and CEO
National Potato Council