10/15/08 The next crop insurance deadline

Washington Ag October 15, 2008 Some sales closing dates for Multi-Peril Crop Insurance for the 2009 crop year are coming up in November. One of those sales closing dates is November 20th for Pacific Northwest apple, blueberry, Actual Revenue History Cherry Pilot, Cranberry, fresh apricots, fresh Freestone peaches, fresh nectarines, grape and pear. That Actual Revenue History Cherry Pilot is new for the 2009 crop year and is available in Washington. Risk Management Agency administrator Eldon Gould says the pilot program insures the cherry price at the packing house door. Gould: "So that kind of levels the playing field for people no matter what they might be doing with their crop. It is sort of a post-harvest price or value, but it is before they go the packing house and have value added because of the packing process." Producers who are currently insured will have to have a new policy drawn up for 2009 since the Fixed Dollar Insurance Plan will no longer be available. RMA also reminds producers of the important link between Federal crop insurance and Farm Service Agency Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Programs for the 2009 crop year. To be eligible for the disaster programs producers must obtain a plan of insurance of at least catastrophic level coverage. I'm Bob Hoff.