Eastern Ontario is in a drought! That is not new news for the farmers as they watch their crops wilt away. But, according to Agricorp it is not as serious as the farmers believe. How do they come up with that response…..well, those with crop insurance have not reported their concerns with the crops.
The details are always in the fine print. Well in this case it is and for many not aware of this clause in your contract it could cause you to not have coverage. In the contract under “responsibilities – report damage” it is the insurer’s responsibility to notify crop insurance that they have a concern of a possible risk. Agricorp representatives mention that if you do not notify them of a possible concern you do run the risk of being denied a claim.
If you have a frost in the spring but the crop looks ok, you are still required to have contacted the office and notified them that there was a frost on the crop. A drought, too much rain, any of the insured perils must be reported, “as soon as it occurs. An adjuster may follow up and conduct any required inspections. If you do not report damage as soon as it occurs, your claim may be reduced or denied,” is the language in the contract.
For hay production, there is coverage under the Production Insurance forage rainfall plan. This plan uses rainfall as an indicator for quality and quantity of the forages. There are two ways the Forage Rainfall plan can protect a producers’ established forage: insufficient rainfall during May to August or excess rainfall during first cut.” as received in an email from Agricorp. Claims are assessed based on a third party provider at various stations across the province. Producers can choose up to three different stations in their area to calculate their rainfall.
So for all of those looking at their crops and are worried about the fall outcome, don’t continue to keep that information stored in your mental vault. Contact Agricorp and make sure they are aware. This will assist them in their announcements and planning for the fall while protecting your possible claim position.
