Corn strips await yield appraisal
Staff writer
Because of drought conditions, many corn fields have been chopped for silage. But in many places, strips of uncut stalks are a common sight this summer.
“Farmers are trying to get some value out of a crop that has been hurt by lack of rainfall,” insurance agent Jeff Cady said. “The lack of rain really hurt it, but the demand for feed is allowing them to get some value out of it.”
Crop insurance is a risk management tool for ag producers.
If a field is covered by crop yield insurance and the crop is poor, strips are left to be appraised by a crop adjuster to determine overall yield per acre. Then, depending on the amount of coverage purchased, the producer is paid a pre-determined amount per bushel for a percentage of the yield loss.
Farmers have the option to purchase crop revenue insurance to guard against a price drop during the growing season.
The 2014 federal farm bill replaced emergency direct crop disaster payments to farmers with subsidized crop insurance.
Like most other insurance, farmers pay a premium and have a deductible before receiving a payout. If they have no loss, they receive nothing back.
What happens to those cornstalks after they are appraised? According to farmer Alan Hett of Marion, a producer can do whatever he wants with them. “He can mow them down and plant right through them if he sows the field in wheat. He can swath and bale them. Alternatively, he can harvest them for grain, but the crop adjuster has to be present,” he said.