Workshops and webinar to help farmers with critical planting decisions

Delay in planting means critical decisions must be made soon.

An overabundance of rain this spring has led to widespread planting delays for many Michigan corn and soybean growers. Unfortunately, critical deadlines are approaching for crop insurance and planting decisions will need to be made. There will be two opportunities this week for growers to learn about the deadlines and their options.

June 2, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension educator Phil Kaatz will hold two informational meetings for growers in the Thumb. The first will be held in Goodells at the John Sulkowski Farm (1344 Cove Road, Goodells, Mich., 48027) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The second will be at the MSU Extension office in Lapeer (287 W. Nepessing St., Lapeer, Mich., 48446) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For information on either of these meetings, contact Kaatz at 810-667-0341 (office), 810-338-5242 (mobile) or kaatz@anr.msu.edu.

June 3, Roger Betz and Dennis Stein, both MSU Extension educators, will hold a webinar from 10 to 11 a.m. to help farmers explore options for delayed and prevented planting. Growers can log on to the webinar at http://breeze.msu.edu/aabifirm/. It will also be archived online immediately following the broadcast and available for later viewing. Contact Dave Schweikhardt, professor in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics at MSU, at 517-355-2320 or schweikh@anr.msu.edu for more information.

The webinar will feature the latest information on the financial consequences of delayed-planting decisions and the implications of those decisions for farmers' participation in programs such as crop insurance or the USDA's Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE).

“In Michigan, corn planted after June 5 could be subject to a reduction in the insurance revenue guarantee. It also is the date that affects farmers' ability to file an insurance claim for a ‘Prevented Planting,’” said Schweikhardt. “Producers should be aware of these timing decisions and determine whether a declaration of a "Prevented Planting" claim would be the best option or not.”

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