Multi-Peril Crop Insurance & Prevent Planting
Prevented Planting is covered by the Multi Peril provisions created by the United States Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency. Few other insured causes of loss are as heavily litigated prevented planting due to a comparatively high rate of fraud in this area. In order to receive a full prevented planting payment you will need to make sure your farm meets the criteria listed below.
Prevented Planting
An Insured Cause of Loss
To begin with, the cause of your inability to plant your crop must be something that is insured by the policy. Typically, severe weather events (hurricanes, blizzards), droughts, floods unrelated to man-made circumstances, certain irrigation failures, and other naturally occurring events are covered. Acts by any person, failure to follow good farming practices, or the breakdown of equipment is not typically covered. Each crop type has different insured causes of loss.
Date of Loss After Purchase
The cause of loss must occur on or after the sales closing date for your policy. If the cause occurred before the closing date, then you'll be denied a prevented planting claim.
Insured Crop
The prevented planting must be for the insured crop. If the cause of loss occurred after the closing date, but you changed your mind on what crop to plant on that farm, you will not be paid an indemnity. Only the insured crop is covered.
Late Planting
If the crop was planted during or after the late planting period. Crops planted during or after the late planting would be covered by your policy's Late Planting payments, which are evaluated differently by the insurance company and the USDA.