Forage Production

Forage is insurable in a county where a premium rate is provided by the actuarial document and you have a share of the crop. The forage may be a stand of:

• Pure alfalfa;
• Alfalfa and perennial grasses where 60 percent or more of the ground cover is alfalfa; or
• Mixed alfalfa and perennial grasses where alfalfa makes up more than 25 percent but less than 60 percent of the ground cover.

To be insured, the forage crop must have been grown during 1 or more years after the year of establishment.

The policy does not insure any acreage that:

• Does not have an adequate stand at the beginning of the insurance period; or
• Is grown with a non-forage crop.

An adequate stand requires the following minimum living plants per square foot after the year of establishment.

Forage production is insurable in Aroostook and Penobscot counties. Forage production may be insurable in other counties by written agreement if specific criteria are met. Contact an insurance agent for more details.

You are protected against the following:

• Adverse weather conditions, including natural perils such as hail, frost, freeze, wind, drought, and excess precipitation;
• Failure of irrigation water supply, if caused by insured peril during the insurance period;
• Fire, if caused by insured peril during the insurance period;
• Insect damage and plant disease, except for insufficient or improper application of control measures;
• Volcanic eruption; or
• Wildlife.

Coverage begins on May 22, 2018, on acreage that has an adequate stand and that was seeded during the spring of 2017. Insurance will end with the earliest occurrence of one of the following:

• Total destruction of the crop;
• Removal from the windrow or the field for each cutting;
• Final adjustment of a loss;
• Abandonment of the crop;
• The date grazing begins on the insured crop; or
• October 15.

Only spring seeded forage production can be insured in Maine.

Sales Closing Date………… September 30, 2017

Acreage Report Date………… December 15, 2017

Premium Billing Date………… July 1, 2018

An acreage report is a report of all insured forage acreage. The report must be submitted to your crop insurance agent on or before the appropriate acreage report due date. See Important Dates section above.

Notify your agent within 72 hours of your initial discovery of damage but not later than 15 days after the end of the insurance period.

Insurance protects against a decline in your average actual production history (APH) yield due to covered natural losses (see Causes of Loss section). Coverage levels range from 50 to 75 percent of your average yield. Premium subsidies are available based on the percent of coverage you buy. Crop insurance premiums are subsidized as shown.

Catastrophic Risk Protection (CAT) coverage is fixed at 50 percent of your average yield and 55 percent of the price election. The cost for CAT coverage is an administrative fee of $300.

Established Price………… $171.00

CAT Price………… $94.05

Your insurable acreage is grouped into one or more units to establish the approved yield, calculate a guarantee, and determine any indemnity.

Basic Unit - A basic unit includes all of the insured crop acreage in the county by share arrangement. For example, the crop acreage on your own farm (including land cash-rented) would be one basic unit, while other acreage on shares with someone else would be a second basic unit. A 10-percent premium discount applies.

Optional Unit - If a basic unit consists of two or more Farm Service Agency farm numbers and certain recordkeeping requirements are met, you may apply for optional units. No premium discount applies.

Assume an alfalfa grass mixture with an approved yield of 4.0 tons per acre, 65 percent coverage level, 100 percent share and a one-acre basic unit. Due to insurable cause of loss, the production-to-count is 1.0 ton.

All multi-peril crop insurance, including CAT policies, are available from private insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA service centers and on the Agent Locator Page.