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Farmers Urged
to Discuss Asian Soybean Rust Concerns With Their Local Ag Extension Experts
and Crop Insurance Agent |
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James Callan (202) 720-8812 WASHINGTON,
March 24, 2005 --
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) today encouraged insured producers
concerned about the impact of Asian soybean rust to use good farming
practices by seeking and following recommendations of agricultural experts to
control soybean rust. Further, RMA recommends the insured producer document
the advice received and actions taken to combat this disease. “We encourage all producers to talk to
their crop insurance agent to understand and comply with the terms of their
crop insurance policy to ensure they will be adequately prepared to meet the
challenges presented by this disease,” said RMA Administrator Ross J.
Davidson, Jr. “While the disease is an insured peril under the Federal crop
insurance program, damage due to the insufficient or improper application of
available disease control measures is not.” Under the terms of the Common Crop
Insurance Policy, a practice is considered a good farming practice if
agricultural experts agree that the production method used will allow the
crop to make normal progress toward maturity and produce at least the yield
used to determine the production guarantee. Failure to purchase and apply adequate
control measures due to economic reasons is not an insurable cause of loss.
Producers must be knowledgeable of any pending outbreaks and the control
methods recommended by local agricultural experts, such as extension agents
and certified crop consultants, used in their area to combat the disease. Appropriate treatment may vary from
timing of application (pre- or post-discovery of the disease), frequency, and
choice of chemical or other determining factors. If crops become infected,
RMA recommends that insured producers document the date of discovery
of the disease, any recommendations received from agricultural experts, and
actions taken regarding the application of appropriate control measures. It is the approved insurance providers’
responsibility to verify that losses are unavoidable due to naturally
occurring events. That includes verifying producers followed good farming
practices or that chemicals or application equipment
were not available or natural events (for example, excessive moisture)
precluded access to the crop to timely apply the recommended treatments. As with all crop insurance policies and
plans of insurance, farmers must use good farming practices. This insures
that in the event of any naturally occurring disease outbreaks, such as
soybean rust, producers will be eligible for an indemnity based on the full
amount of the loss. If good farming practices are not followed, production
attributed to the failure to follow good farming practices is assessed,
resulting in a reduction in the indemnity. Insured producers should follow
developments as to the identification and spread of Asian soybean rust disease
and continue to stay informed and updated concerning appropriate treatments
that may apply to their situation. Producers can find the latest information
on the spread of Asian soybean rust from local experts and from USDA’s
website at http://www.usda.gov/soybeanrust. Information about Asian soybean rust
control measures may be obtained from local chemical dealers, crop
consultants, and plant pathologists in agriculture departments of State
governments, universities, and USDA's Cooperative
State Research, Education and Extension Service who are familiar with the
risks of exposure to this disease. For
more information regarding good farming practices and crop insurance
protection against Asian soybean rust, please see the crop policies area on
the RMA website at http://www.rma.usda.gov |