08/21/08 A crop insurance deadline days away

Washington Ag August 21, 2008 The first of several fall deadlines for Multi-Peril Crop Insurance is coming up. Jo Lynne Seufer with the regional office of USDA's Risk Management Agency explains which commodities have an early September sales closing date. Seufer: "Looking at 2009 we have canola and rapeseed with the sales closing date fast approaching. It is September 2nd. Really it is August 31 but because that falls on a weekend, Labor Day weekend this year, the sales closing date is extended to September 2nd, Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday. That also includes fall planted type onions for Umatilla and Walla Walla counties." After September 2nd the next sales closing date is September 30th. That will be for such crops as winter and spring wheat, barley with Winter Coverage Endorsement, Forage crop insurance and the Alfalfa Seed Pilot crop insurance. Seufer says September 30th is also the closing date for Mint with Winter Coverage Option, which for 2009 now includes the additional counties of Walla Walla, Washington and Baker county Oregon. Seufer: "Those growers can now obtain regular insurance and not have to go through a written agreement procedure in those counties, So that is an expansion there because of the added interest." As always check with you crop insurance agent. I'm Bob Hoff.