Farm/Crop Insurance in Washington

The Basics of Crop Insurance in Washington

There are two different types of crop insurance for farmers in Washington. Crop–hail insurance isn’t part of the Federal Crop Insurance Program and is bought by farmers through private insurers. Many farmers choose to have this type of coverage because hail can destroy a significant part of a planted field while leaving other areas undamaged. In areas where hail is a frequent event, many farmers want this type of insurance in order to protect crops that are high yielding. This type of policy can be purchased at any time during the growing season.

Multiple peril crop insurance will need to be purchased before planting and can cover the loss of crop yields from natural causes. These natural causes include disease, freeze, excessive moisture, and drought. Newer coverage options will combine price protection and yield protection to help protect farmers against loss in revenue, whether it changes in market price or because of low yields. The program is overseen by the Risk Management Agency, which sets the rates and which crops can be insured. There are private companies that are authorized to write these policies, such as Western Insurance Associates in Spokane, WA and surrounding areas. Crop revenue insurance is also available on its own to protect the revenue of farmers. The federal government will also subsidize the farmer-paid premiums, in order to reduce the cost to farmers. There is also reimbursement to the private insurance companies to offset any administrative and operating costs that farmers would typically pay during their premiums. This means that crop insurance can remain affordable to many of the Washington ranchers and farmers.

The Benefits of Crop Insurance

Farmers can use crop insurance to help recover financially from a volatile market or natural disaster and use the money to pay equipment providers, landlords, bankers, and suppliers. This allows them to make long-term investments to help increase their production efficiency. Many farmers say that crop insurance is the top risk management tool available.

Contact Western Insurance Associates, serving Spokane, WA and surrounding areas, to get a quote on farm/crop insurance.