Over 250 attend meeting on farm planting woes

May 31-- May 31--The rain keeps falling, and that means more "prevented planting" acres will be on the books in 2019.

Prevented planting is a failure to plant an insured crop with the proper equipment by the final planting date designated in a producer's insurance policy. Generally, this is due to an "insured cause of loss" that is common to the surrounding areas and prevents other producers from planting acreage with similar characteristics.

Given the massive delays and lack of planting progress to date in the region, over 250 area farmers attended a free informational meeting sponsored by Dick Sims Crop Insurance held Thursday at the Cass County 4-H Community Center.

Agents of Dick Sims Crop Insurance were on hand for questions and insight.

"There's no one-size-fits-all -- most people's scenarios are probably better one-on-one or with your individual insurance adjuster," said Steve Sims, president and owner of Dick Sims Agency. "The goal of this meeting is to raise awareness and help people best navigate the ins and outs of prevented planting coverage."

Spring corn planting in Indiana has been fallen far behind the typical schedule as relentless rains continue to drench fields. As of May 26, only 22 percent of Indiana corn crop had been planted compared to 94 percent last year. Eleven percent of Indiana soybeans have been planted compared to 85 percent last year.

Meanwhile, farmers who typically plant soybeans have been considering other crops because of the continuing trade embargoes with China -- the largest importer of American soybeans.

Indiana claims supervisor Sharon Shock with Great American Insurance discussed the prevented planting provisions in terms of how they relate to an individual farmer.

"Because farming is so complex, and land can vary from field to field, eligibility for a prevented planting payment is determined on a case-by-case basis," Shock explained.

Agents from Dick Sims Crop Insurance, Great American Insurance, Kokomo Grain, Purdue Extension and Farm Services Agency (FSA) helped answer farmers' questions.

Area farmer Scott Hardy said that it's been a long time since he's seen so many farmers gathered together.

"I think it just goes to show how severe this situation is in our area," Hardy said. "Too wet a planting season can be stressful, especially when all your options aren't clear."

Hardy said that attending the informational meeting allowed him to network and become more aware of the resources at his disposal to ultimately help him make the best decisions for his farm.

The National Agricultural Statistical Service reported there were over 56,000 farming operations in Indiana in 2018 that planted over 5.3 million acres of corn and 5.9 million acres of soybeans -- a total crop value worth more than $6.5 billion.

Reach Quentin Blount at quentin.blount@pharostribune.com or 574-732-5130.

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