03/03/05 Another crop insurance deadline

Farm and Ranch March 3, 2005 USDA's Risk Management Agency reminds Pacific Northwest producers the sales closing date for spring seeded Multi-Peril Crop Insurance is fast approaching. Tuesday, March 15th is the final date for producers to obtain the coverage on their 2005 spring seeded crops, excluding onions, wheat, and canola in counties with Fall and Spring planted types. Those currently insured and uninsured growers must make all of their decisions on crop insurance coverage prior to the sales closing date March 15th. Dave Paul of the regional Risk Management Office says something new this year for several counties in the PNW is a pilot mustard insurance contract. Paul: "Basically this is a policy that provides insurance for mustard that is planned to be harvested for seed to be processed into products for human consumption and a producer must have a contract as well to be able to buy the mustard insurance policy. It works a lot like our canola-rapeseed policy that we have out there right now. So it is a production based mustard policy for mustard that has been contracted for harvest as seed to be processed into products for human consumption." Producers should contact a local agent to learn all the details about crop insurance products. Again, March 15th is the spring sales closing date. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.