Reminder: Perennial Crop Sales Closing

October 21, 2019

The deadline to insure Northeast perennial crops for the 2020 crop year is November 20, 2019. Insurable perennial crops include apples, peaches, grapes, cranberries, blueberries, pears and cherries. Coverage availability varies by county, so please visit CropGrowers.com to view the crop fact sheets.

For the 2020 crop year, the Risk Management Agency expanded coverage for Northeast producers. Multi-peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) for peaches was extended to New Hampshire counties — Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Stratford; Connecticut counties — Hartford, New Haven, New London, Tolland and Windham; Rhode Island counties — Newport and Washington; Massachusetts counties — Barnstable, Berkshire, Norfolk and Plymouth. MPCI pear coverage has been extended to Niagara and Ulster counties in New York.

The crop insurance program has become the backbone of many Northeast farms’ risk management plans. Weather fluctuation and market volatility are major risks for crop producers. Crop insurance helps to manage this risk by providing protection against damage caused by hail, wind, frost, excess moisture, drought, disease, insects or wildlife. To hear firsthand from New York apple grower Chip Bailey how crop insurance has added financial stability to his operation, click here.

To protect investments in the 2020 crop, perennial crop producers should contact their Crop Growers agent well in advance of the November 20 deadline to sign up or make changes to their coverage. Producers who are renewing coverage should report to their crop insurance agent any changes in their business, such as bringing a new member into the business or forming an LLC or Corporation.

Crop Growers, LLP, is an independent agency that sells and services crop insurance for 35 different crops through a nine state territory. Crop Growers is owned by Farm Credit East, in conjunction with other Northeast Farm Credit Associations. Producers do not need to be a Farm Credit customer to purchase crop insurance. Contact the Crop Growers Customer Service Center at 1-800-234-7012 to learn more.