Fresh Market Sweet Corn

Fresh market sweet corn is insurable if:

• It is planted to be harvested and sold as fresh market sweet corn, including non-irrigated acreage; and
• You have grown sweet corn for commercial sale or participated in managing a sweet corn farming operation in at least 1 of the 3 previous crop years.

Fresh market sweet corn is available in all Maine counties. Contact a crop 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 an insured peril during the insurance period;
• Fire, if caused by an insured peril during the insurance period;
• Insect damage and plant disease, except for insufficient or improper application of control measures; or
• Wildlife.

Coverage begins on the later of the date we accept your application or the date when the crop is planted. Coverage ends with the earliest occurrence of one of the following:

• Total destruction of the crop;
• Harvest of the unit;
• Final adjustment of a loss;
• Abandonment of the crop; or
• September 5, September 15, September 30.

Sales Closing Date ....................... March 15, 2018

Acreage Reporting Date .................. July 15, 2018

An acreage report is a report of all insured acreage of fresh market sweet corn. A report must be submitted to your crop insurance agent on or before the appropriate acreage reporting date.

Notice of Loss - If a loss occurs you should:

• Protect the crop from further damage by providing sufficient care;
• Notify your crop insurance agent within 72 hours of your initial discovery of damage (but not later than 15 days after the end of the insurance period); and
• Give notice at least 15 days before any production will be sold by direct marketing.

Allowable Cost - An amount, not to exceed $4.15 per container, for harvesting and marketing costs (such as picking, hauling, packing, and shipping) is subtracted from the price received for each container of sweet corn to determine value of sold production.

Container - Fifty ears of fresh market sweet corn.

Minimum Value - A minimum value of $6.50 per container is applied to any sold production that is valued at less than $6.50 after subtracting the allowable cost. Unsold appraised production is also valued at the minimum value.

Reference Maximum Dollar Amount - The value per acre established for the state. Your guarantee is derived from multiplying the reference maximum dollar amount by the level of coverage. (see Coverage Levels section and table).

Instead of guaranteeing production, the policy guarantees a dollar amount of coverage, depending on the level of coverage selected. Crop insurance premiums are subsidized as shown below. For example, if you select the 75 percent coverage level, the premium subsidy is 55 percent and your premium share is 45 percent of the base premium.

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.

In the event of a covered cause of loss, the indemnity is reduced if damage occurs during the first stage of growth, as shown below. This reduction in guarantee reflects the absence of harvesting costs and certain other crop maintenance expenses that will not be incurred if the crop is not carried to harvest.

A loss occurs when the crop value falls below the guaranteed dollar amount because of damage from a covered cause of loss. Assume a dollar guarantee of $1,709 per acre at the 65 percent coverage level, 50 containers of sweet corn per acre produced and sold for $12 each, and an allowable cost of $4.15 per container. The net value of $7.85 per container ($12 -$4.15) gives a production value of $393 per acre (50 containers x $7.85).