The Basics on Multiple-Peril Crop Insurance

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Agribusiness Insurance & Risk Management
The Basics on Multiple-Peril Crop Insurance

Multiple-peril crop insurance (MPCI) provides farmers with protection against losses due to weather and other perils for more than 100 crops across the country. Though it varies widely by policy and depends largely on the type of crop insured, some examples of covered hazards include damages from adverse weather, natural disaster, insect infestation, disease and wildlife damage. MPCI will never cover losses resulting from irresponsible farming practices, low prices or theft, though depending on the crop, it may cover costs of late planting, replanting, poor-quality yields and low yields.

A Public-Private Partnership

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) manages MPCI through a public-private partnership, meaning the federal government subsidizes the premiums, but private companies write all MPCI policies. There are currently 15 companies authorized by the USDA to provide MPCI coverage, and you can find that list here. The USDA requires these companies to sell MPCI policies to any eligible farmer who requests it, and the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) uniformly sets all the rates and determines what crops may be insured in which regions of the country.

Coverage Levels

The RMA calculates amount of MPCI coverage based on the actual production history (APH) for each farm. APH numbers come from farmer production records from the past four, and up to the past 10, consecutive crop years. Coverage levels generally range from 50 to 75 percent of the farm’s APH, the USDA RMA grants up to 85 percent coverage for select crops in certain counties.

A MPCI policy also requires election of an indemnity price, which can be anywhere between 60 and 100 percent of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) expected market price. Indemnities are paid when the grower’s yield falls below the calculated yield guarantee (APH times the insured acreage times the level of coverage times the farmer’s elected share).

Obviously, electing a higher indemnity price will result in higher indemnity payments and more expensive premiums, but in years with low yields or in the event of loss, the compensation will be much greater.

The When and the Why

Unlike a crop-hail policy, which farmers may purchase at any time during the growing season, you must purchase an MPCI policy prior to planting. It is a continuous policy that will remain in effect for each crop year following acceptance of the original application. Farmers may change the policy on or before the sales closing date, and cancellations may only be made after the first effective crop year.

There are endless benefits to purchasing a MPCI policy, among them confidence, stability, improved financial management and comfort in knowing there is a safety net for unexpected loss and associated costs.

For more information about Agribusiness Insurance and Risk Management, visit AGRICULTURE or call a SW Risk Specialist at 1-866-924-7976 (SWRM).

SW Risk Agribusiness Team

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