Asian soybean rust will be covered by crop insurance if it occurs here in Ohio. In talking with some crop insurance representatives, there is still some confusion and concern over the vagueness of the definition of good farming practices. Information posted at http://www.rma.usda.gov offers the following definition:
Good farming practices – The production methods utilized to produce the insured crop and allow it to make normal progress toward maturity and produce at least the yield used to determine the Final Guarantee, including any adjustments for late planted acreage, which are: (1) for conventional or sustainable farming practices, those generally recognized by agricultural experts for the area; or (2) for organic farming practices, those generally recognized by the organic agricultural industry for the area or contained in the organic plan. We may, or you may request us to, contact FCIC to determine whether or not production methods will be considered to be “good farming practices.”
Insured producers should talk with their crop insurance agent about good farming practices if they are concerned about the impact of Asian soybean rust on their crop insurance indemnities. While disease is an insured peril under the Federal crop insurance program, damage due to the insufficient or improper application of disease control measures is not.
Insured producers should follow developments as to the identification and spread of Asian soybean rust disease, and continue to stay informed and updated concerning appropriate treatments that may apply to their situation. Appropriate treatment may vary from timing of application (pre- or post-discovery of the disease), frequency, and choice of chemical or other determining factors.
If crops become infected, discovery of the disease and any recommendations received regarding the application of appropriate control measures must be documented. In the event that rust develops in Ohio, farmers should follow these recommendations to protect their investment in crop insurance:
1. If the disease is found in their area, producers are expected to make their best possible effort to effectively treat for rust using accepted rust treatment practices. Farmers who do not treat for rust, or who make efforts to treat the disease too late, will not qualify for compensation under multi-peril crop insurance.
2. When making insurance claims, farmers should be prepared to verify that the cause of Asian soybean rust was natural and that available control measures were properly applied. Keep detailed records of dates and contacts associated with identifying the disease, ordering fungicides, and applying fungicides. This will assist in the verification that every effort was made to implement an acceptable treatment.
3. If an insufficient amount of rust control fungicide is available for effective control, the resulting loss of production would be covered. However, producers would need to show documentation that they attempted to order a fungicide and that the order could not be filled.
4. If a farmer is able to purchase a fungicide, but is unable to apply the treatment due to shortages in custom application services, loss of production would be covered. Damage resulting from the insufficient or improper application of rust control measures is not covered. If your sprayer is inadequate to apply the fungicide as recommended by the label, make sure you have documentation stating so from a reputable source.
For more information regarding good farming practices and crop insurance protection against Asian soybean rust, please see the crop policies area on the RMA website at http://www.rma.usda.gov.