crop insurance News

Wine ‘Smoke Taint’ Disputes Linger 2 Years After Wildfires

Recent wildfires in California Wine Country, particularly those that devastated parts of Napa and Sonoma counties in October 2017, have focused attention on whether insurance covers smoke taint damage to grapes and wine. Many wineries and grape growers have notified …

Another Kentucky Farmer Admits Crop Insurance Fraud

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Another Central Kentucky farmer has pleaded guilty in a crop insurance fraud scheme that a federal prosecutor has called “pervasive and severe” in that region. Daniel Arvin pleaded guilty on Dec. 19 in federal court in Lexington …

Weather Chaos Expected to Leave Record U.S. Corn Acres Unplanted

For months, traders debated which crops U.S. farmers would sow this year. That discussion is now turning to how many acres may be left unplanted as relentless rainfall sweeps the Midwest. Rabobank is predicting an unprecedented number of unplanted acres …

Incessant Rain Puts U.S. Farmers on Insurance-Deadline Watch

Kansas farmer Mark Nelson had until Saturday to plant his corn or lose the insurance that protects him from a drop in prices or yield. Instead, he’s hopping on a plane to visit his father in Chicago. Nelson is now …

U.S. Disaster Aid Won’t Cover Crops Drowned by Midwest Floods

MALVERN, Iowa — The Black Hawk military helicopter flew over Iowa, giving a senior U.S. agriculture official and U.S. senator an eyeful of the flood damage below, where yellow corn from ruptured metal silos spilled out into the muddy water. …

More than 1 Million Acres of U.S. Cropland Ravaged by Floods

CHICAGO/COLUMBUS, Neb. — At least 1 million acres of U.S. farmland were flooded after the “bomb cyclone” storm left wide swaths of nine major grain producing states under water this month, satellite data analyzed by Gro Intelligence for Reuters showed. …

`Recipe for Flooding’ Threatens Great Plains Wheat on Red River

As the Midwest recovers from record flooding, cities and towns along the Red River in Minnesota, North Dakota and Canada are preparing for a deluge of their own as the heavy snows of winter start to melt. Fargo, North Dakota, …

South Carolina Governor Won’t Seek Direct Aid for $376M in Flood Damaged Crops

Farmers packed the Statehouse on Monday to beg Gov. Nikki Haley to ask Congress for money to offset their estimated $376 million in losses from last month’s historic flooding. But the Republican governor is unwavering in her refusal. Farmers should …

Texas Cotton Farmers Say Farm Bill Provision Saves Crop Insurance

Texas cotton producers say they are pleased to learn the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reconsidered its decision about implementing a provision of the farm bill. The department’s announcement means its Risk Management Agency will calculate production yields for all …

New Crop Insurance Program to Aid Small Farmers

Small farmers and ranchers in North Dakota who once were unable to insure their crops will get a chance to do so in 2015 under a new insurance program. The Bismarck Tribune reports small and mid-size producers will be able …