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Did you know that according to Crop Insurance in America more than 90% of insurable farmland in the United States is protected through the federal crop insurance program? Let’s break down what you need to know about crop insurance.  

What is crop insurance? 

Crop insurance is basically insurance for all of your row crops. It’s a risk management tool for Georgia farmers and some argue it’s the cornerstone for risk management for American farmers. It keeps farmers farming.

Why is it important? 

Crop insurance is essential to the success of farmers in Georgia. It helps farmers sleep better at night knowing that if mother nature’s curveballs hit their farm, they’ll have the financial security to stay in business and go on to plant for the next season. 

There are a lot of farmers and farm families that have bad years and if they didn’t have crop insurance, they would be out of farming for good. It’s the number one risk management tool farmers have and a lot of lenders require crop insurance as collateral. 

Also, it’s important to note, many government programs through the farm service agency require crop insurance to be eligible for other disaster payments. 

What is covered? 

There are two types of crop insurance available: 

1. Crop-Hail, which protects high-yielding crops in areas of the country where hail is a frequent event. As Georgians we know that hail can be an issue during thunderstorms across the peach state. 
2. Multiple Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI), these policies must be purchased prior to planting and cover loss of crop yields from all types of natural causes including drought, excessive moisture, freeze, disease, and even fire if it occurs by natural disaster or weather event.   

Crop insurance isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. Your farm is evaluated for coverage based on the type of crops being grown. Different crops have different coverages, and you may be able to recover a portion of your loss depending on your level of crop insurance coverage. 

You don’t have to have farm insurance with us to have crop insurance. It’s a government subsidized program, and it’s important to understand that there are different programs for each state that apply to certain crops and cover different things. For more information about crop insurance visit our website or contact Michael Smith, our Crop Insurance Program Manager. 

Content provided by Michael Smith, Georgia Farm Bureau Crop Insurance Program Manager and Crop Insurance in America