Producer Obligations and Expectations

Producers must:

• Report acreage, and any required protection, accurately,
• Meet policy deadlines,
• Pay premiums when due, and
• Report losses immediately.

Contact a crop insurance agent for information regarding your specific obligations.

Producers will receive:

• Accurate answers to questions on types of coverage,
• Prompt processing of their policy, and
• Timely payments for covered losses.

Sales closing date – last day to apply for coverage.

Final planting date – last day to plant unless insured for late planting.

Acreage reporting date – last day to report the acreage planted. If not reported, insurance will not be in effect.

Date to file notice of crop damage –

• after damage;
• the date the producer decides to discontinue caring for the crop;
• prior to the beginning of harvest;
• immediately, if farmer determines that the crop is damaged after harvest begins;
• or the end of the insurance period, whichever is earlier.

End of insurance period – latest date of insurance coverage.

Payment due date – last day to pay the premium without being charged interest.

Cancellation date – last day to request cancellation of policy for the next year.

Production reporting date – last day to report production for APH, ARH, Revenue Protection, and Revenue Protection with harvest price exclusion option.

Debt termination date – date the approved insurance provider will terminate a policy for nonpayment.

If an established crop policy is not available in a particular state or county, producers may request that their RMA Regional Office expand the program to their county the next crop year. They may also request insurance coverage under a written agreement, a kind of individual policy which bases premium rates on data from other counties. Producers are required to have documented experience in growing the crop, or in growing an agronomically similar crop, to obtain the agreement and written agreements must be allowed by the applicable policy. See the RMA fact sheet Requesting Insurance Not Available in Your County.

Although RMA has streamlined the process of developing new policies, much must be done before a policy can be made available nationwide, especially if it is a new type of policy or a policy on a crop which is not similar to any crop already insured. Generally, the process takes several years. Frequently Asked Questions provides information regarding new insurance policies developed under contract for RMA by private entities or privately developed 508(h) insurance products approved by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. Also see the Concept Proposals option for submitting proposals for 508(h). RMA has developed some training resources for pilot programs.

Note: Any examples are for illustrative purposes only. Contact a crop insurance agent for terms specific to your farm.