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Prevented planting: Deadlines, resources for farmers impacted by wet spring

Spring Planting Reading Time: 2 minutes

The weather models for much of Minnesota’s farm country look ominous, causing many farmers to start looking at prevented planting as the window for planting corn narrows.

The first step for corn farmers examining prevented planting is to contact their crop insurance agent, who can help determine eligibility and reporting requirements. An agent will be vital in determining acres eligible for prevented planting payments, as one example.

Final planting date is May 31 for corn in southern Minnesota, and May 25 in northern Minnesota. After the final planting date has arrived, a prevented planting payment can be taken. Planting of corn during the late planting period, which is 25 days after the final planting date, can still occur. However, the insurance guaranteed is reduced 1 percent each day the crop is planted after the final planting date.

Once the final planting date arrives later this month, farmers with a Common Crop Insurance (COMBO) product have the following options:

  • Take prevented planting and not plant a crop to be harvested or grazed: Check with a crop insurance agent to determine the amount of payment received. While no field crop can be harvested in 2019, a cover crop can be planted if not harvested or grazed until after Nov. 1.
  • Plant corn: No prevented planting payment will be received, and the guarantee will decrease throughout the late planting period as previously described.
  • Plant another crop, primarily soybeans: No prevented planting payment will be received, but if the crop planted is eligible for crop insurance, it will be fully covered until that crop’s final planting date is reached (June 10 for soybeans).
  • Take 35% of the corn prevented planting payment and plant another crop for harvest after the late planting period: The crop must be planted after the late planting period for corn, which ends 25 days after the final planting date. The insured would have to report 60% of their prior Corn APH for the 2019 crop year.

Deadline to contact crop insurance agent for prevented planting:

Farmers are required to provide a notice of loss to an insurance agent within 72 hours after the final planting date if they do not intend to plant the insured crop during the late planting period.

For a more in-depth look at prevented planting decisions, the following resources are available:

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