Crop
Insurance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administered Federal Crop Insurance program makes U.S. farmland truly unique compared to other investment grade asset classes across the globe. Crop Insurance provides a minimum annual revenue guarantee that significantly reduces risks for farmland operators and by extension, for farmland owners. Created in 1938 as an element of agricultural policy responses to the Great Depression, Federal Crop Insurance is a permanently authorized program administered by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
Minimum Annual Revenue Guarantee
The ability to insure a high-level minimum annual revenue for farm operations is substantially valuable as it allows stabilization of performance even if adverse growing conditions impact production in a particular year. Every operator and agricultural asset can calibrate their guaranteed revenue with their APH over time. The ability to ensure that revenue will be above a known level at the point in time production decisions are made, or in conjunction with the acquisition of new assets is particularly important.
Underwriting and Asset Diligence
The USDA’s establishment of county-level insurable yields by crop provides a temporally and spatially aggregated decision support system that supports asset underwriting and acquisition diligence. Specifically, knowledge of the price and yield insurance revenue supported by location, crop, type, and practice allows optimization of production when evaluating assets as investment opportunities. The risk classifications and relative cost of premiums for an asset or production provide valuable insights and opportunities to limit revenue risk.
Emerging Financial Incentives
USDA and their partner private sector insurance companies are piloting several programs that incentivize a range of soil health and conservation-focused management practices. These practices include cover crops, split nitrogen application and reduced tillage practices. The pilots provide incentives based on long-term reductions in production risks through more resilient soils. Emerging crop insurance and conservation title programs focused on sustainability and resiliency align well with ESG objectives from many investment capital providers, and with marketing opportunities to satisfy consumer preferences for sustainability and transparency in the food supply chain. In combination, the ability to reduce the cost of insurance while achieving priority market access through the implementation of practices meeting ESG objectives provides a unique financial opportunity for farmland stakeholders.
Types of Coverage
The two main types of crop insurance available to farmers, ranchers, and landowners are Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) and crop-hail.
Multi-Peril Crop Insurance
MPCI coverage must be purchased by the applicable Sales Closing Deadline (SCD) for the crop(s) being planted for the specific growing season. Coverages available protect against crop revenue or yield losses from many types of natural occurrences of destructive weather including but not limited to drought, fire, moisture, heat, freeze, disease, and wind.
Crop-Hail
Crop damage resulting from hail is covered directly through the MPCI, it is private product from an Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) that can be purchased in addition to your MPCI policy. Different plans and endorsements are available for purchase based on the potential damage a hailstorm may cause to a specific crop. These policies may be purchased at any time during the growing season, with the bulk purchase in conjunction with the producer’s MPCI policy.
Peoples Company is currently licensed to sell MPCI and crop-hail coverage in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington; and has close referral and consulting abilities in remaining states with primary crop production regions.
To inquire about our crop insurance services, contact Peoples Company at 855.800.LAND today or email CropInsurance@PeoplesCompany.com for additional information.
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