Mark Gutierrez, the deputy director of the regional USDA-RMA office provided some insight on navigating crop insurance options post-derecho.
The good news: some 95% of corn and soybean acres in Iowa are insured with multi-peril policies (which includes wind damage) with an average coverage policy of 80% of the calculated average of the last ten years of revenue on each certified land unit. Read on to learn some potential actionable steps.
File your claim: If you experienced damage to your standing crop, and have not already done so, you need to notify your insurance provider of damage. Your claim should be confirmed in writing within 15 days of the damage observation.
Advocate for yourself: If you want to salvage your snapped corn for feed, inform your insurance provider so you can be moved to the top of the list for adjustment inspections. While insurance providers are busy, they can take steps to prioritize inspections on corn that you want to harvest for feed as there is a narrow window for harvesting.
If you believe your crop can’t be mechanically harvested and want to prioritize planting of a forage crop or a cover crop soon, you might ask your insurance provider to view your damaged fields promptly.
Leaving intact areas an option: If you do want to remove damaged crops for livestock feed or to plant cover crops before the usual grain harvest window you can work with your adjuster to identify check strips for insurance.
