Pa. farmers are urged to get crop insurance

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania farmers can act now to protect their income against unexpected losses by purchasing crop insurance before Wednesday, said acting Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.

The Crop Revenue Coverage base fall price for winter wheat is set at $5.29 per bushel for the 2010 growing season.

“Tools like crop insurance allow farmers to protect their paycheck, keeping their operation viable for the next growing season. I urge Pennsylvania wheat producers to take advantage of the revenue protection offered through CRC policies to minimize risks associated with quantity, quality and revenue fluctuations of wheat crops,” Redding said.

CRC policies use individual data to determine loss. A loss occurs when the dollar value of production falls below the dollar value of the revenue guaranteed by insurance.

Producers should contact a local crop-insurance agent before Wednesday to purchase insurance or change existing policies, Redding said. Revenue-protection and yield-protection policies are available.

A list of agents can be found at www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/agents http://www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/agents.

For more information on Pennsylvania’s crop insurance program, call (717) 705-9511 or visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us/cropinsurance