USDA’s RMA Makes Crop Insurance Changes For Soybeans & Sorghum

By Benjamin Cox on February 27, 2020 at 5:42am

The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) made changes for the 2020 crop year to improve crop insurance for Illinois soybean and grain sorghum producers.

The earliest plant date for soybeans was moved from April 20 to April 15 for the central parts of Illinois to reflect changing agronomics. This change doesn’t affect when producers can plant soybeans, as the policy does not restrict how early producers plant. However, soybeans planted prior to the earliest plant date are not eligible for replant coverage.

Another date change benefits soybean producers who plant Following Another Crop (FAC), or double crop soybeans. The final planting date for FAC soybeans was June 20, the same as first crop or Not Following Anther Crop (NFAC) soybeans. For 2020, the final planting date has been moved to July 5 to be better correlate with the planting of FAC soybeans that typically follows wheat.

Finally, soybean and grain sorghum producers are now able to insure their NFAC and FAC crops with separate enterprise units or optional units in counties where both practices are insurable.

Farmers can find RMA agents online using the locator tool on the usda.gov website.