by Patina Thompson
Prevented Planting (PP) is an issue that can come up for an insured on a yearly basis, or never at all. PP is defined as “the failure to plant the insured crop with the proper equipment by the final plant date designated in the Special Provisions for the insured crop in the county or by the end of the late planting period.” An insured must have been prevented from planting the insured crop due to an insured cause of loss that is general to the surrounding area and prevents other producers from planting acreage with similar characteristics.
Additional coverage may be purchased to increase the PP guarantee (not available on CAT policies), which are outlined in the Special Provisions of Insurance by crop. An increase of 5% or 10% can be elected before the Sales Closing Date.
As with all crops and claims, in the event a producer is prevented from planting a crop with PP coverage, they must notify their agent within 72 hours. Any PP acres should be clearly noted and reported on the acreage report before the Acreage Reporting Date.
The maximum acres of PP that you are eligible for are determined on a policy, county and crop basis as follows; the maximum number of acres certified or insured acres reported for insurance in 1 of the 4 most recent years – exceptions apply for double-cropped acreage. Regardless of the number of acres determined, PP coverage will not be provided for any acreage that does not constitute the lesser of 20 acres or 20% of the total acreage in the Unit.
Acreage that is prevented from planting due to drought or failure of irrigation water supply is an insurable cause of loss in most situations.
The length of time to work a PP claim can vary and depends on what supporting documents may be needed. Either way, the PP acre election can be beneficial if you are in an area where the quantity of water supplied can vary from year to year. Contact your crop insurance agent for more details.
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