Crop Insurance Provides Certainty Against Unpredictable Weather

2023’s extreme weather events, including freeze, flooding, hail and wildfire smoke, caused significant crop losses and damage for Northeast producers. It’s not always a total loss. Hail, wind and other weather events, such as the wildfire smoke that hovered over much of the Northeast last summer, can cause damage that doesn’t necessarily ruin the entire crop, but may diminish grade or yield.

Enter crop insurance. Crop insurance can protect against financial losses from weather-related crop damage and quality reductions. Its purpose is to ensure farmers can continue operating after a difficult season. In a year like 2023, being insured against these types of weather events can make or break a business.

“Simply put, crop insurance ensures that a farmer will still be able to farm again next year in the event of a loss outside their control,” said Cuyler Reynolds, crop insurance associate covering New York’s Hudson Valley. “We utilize technology that is exclusive to Farm Credit East to personalize risk management plans, so a producer is covering their cost of production.”

Weather is one factor that will always be out of our hands. We don’t have a crystal ball. We can’t predict what weather (and markets) will bring in 2024. But one thing we can be certain of is the benefit of crop insurance in a bad weather year.

Crop insurance provides a safety net that can at least mitigate losses resulting from a severe weather event. Indemnity payments may not make producers whole, but the intent is for coverage to allow them to farm again next year.

Upcoming Spring Crop Deadline – March 15

The next crop insurance deadline to insure spring crops in the northeast for the 2024 crop year is March 15, 2024. Insurable spring crops include field and vegetable crops such as corn, soybeans, barley, oats, fresh market sweet corn, cabbage, processing beans, processing sweet corn, dry beans, green peas, fresh market beans, tomatoes, tobacco and potatoes. Coverage availability varies by county. Click here to learn more, or contact an agent today.

Owned by Farm Credit East, Crop Growers has developed risk management plans for northeast farmers for more than 20 years. To learn more about the crops insured and various crop insurance policies available to help Northeast producers manage risk, click here.