09/15/06 Crop insurance deadlines

Its two weeks and counting. Producers who grow fall planted crops and want to sign up for multi-peril crop insurance need to get rolling now. In fact, USDA's Risk Management Agency's Dave Paul says this applies to the most common fall planted crops like winter wheat, barley, oats and forage production. PAUL "If they plant canola in the spring they can still purchase insurance on the spring planted canola up until March 15th. For Malheur County we have forage production deadline for that multiple peril crop insurance policy October 2nd. The forage seed pilot program which encompasses Owyhee County, sales closing date for that program is October 2nd. Wheat, the big fall crop for all of Idaho, Oregon and Washington is October 2nd. For producers that might plant fall barley and want to insure that that sales closing date would be October 2nd as well." The normal deadline is September 30th but since that day falls on a Saturday this year the deadline was moved to Monday, October 2nd. There is some work that needs done prior to the deadline so that's why Paul is suggesting that producers contact their insurance agent today. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott