Pa. Crop Insurance HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Agriculture Secretary Sam Hayes has announced a continuation of the Pennsylvania Crop Insurance Assist ance Program. The program was cre ated by the Pennsylvania Depart ment of Agriculture in 2000 to help Pennsylvania farmers participate in crop insurance. All Pennsylvania farmers who purchase crop insur ance are eligible for cost share assist ance. As the devastating drought of 1999 made its mark on Pennsylvania agri culture, the need for a disaster assist ance program became apparent. Pennsylvania responded quickly. In an effort to spare farmers from eco nomic ruin, drought assistance pay ments were provided. “Absolutely no other state or De partment of Agriculture had as big a response to the 1999 drought as we did in Pennsylvania,” Hayes noted. “Our Governor and state lawmakers responded to the need to provide a bridge from the 1999 crop year to the next year and its growing season. “PDA is not organized as a disas ter payment agency. But I wanted to use every dollar for farmer pay ments. So, I asked the men and sssssssssssssss&sss $ Cash Paid $ | For Chestnut & Pin© | Boards & Planks $ Paying I $3 to $5 per sq. ft. | for Chestnut i Depending on Width & Quality Marty Keiser | in Connecticut | 203-335-9044 I sssssssssssssssssss $ $ $ $ $ $$ Feeder Wagon with Headlocks Zimmerman adjustable headlocks for animals 10 months or older. Mounted on a 5' x 20' or 24' trough with an adjustable tongue. All headlocks finished with a zinc rich undercoat & TGIC polyester powder topcoat, • Spring loaded neck bar for easy removal & adjustment. • Individual lock on each yoke for retaining individual animals. Call or Write For Additional Information & the Name of Your Nearest Dealer Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. 295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 • 1 mile West of Ephrata 717/738-7365 Hours: Mop. thru Fn.: 7-5; Sat. 7-11 women at the Pennsylvania Depart ment of Agriculture to do their regu lar jobs plus we organized a team to administer the hay assistance, drought assistance payments, and crop insurance programs. We have done over $7O million in transactions without adding employees and relat ed administrative costs.” Coming out of the drought, and knowing there would not always be the budgetary opportunity for disas ter payments, Hayes wanted to pro vide a better protective shield and better risk management opportunity against natural disasters through a “reformed” crop insurance program. The Pennsylvania Crop Insurance Assistance Program, initiated and administered by PDA, has helped in crease crop insurance participation to a new high with nearly 1.1 million acres of protected crops. More farm ers are participating in this type of risk management than at any point in Pennsylvania’s history. Risk-man agement tools are especially impor tant during periods of drought or deadly freezes, providing protection for farm enterprises. This is good for farm families and Pennsylvania agri culture. Added Value With Our 2 Coat Process! —1 Five step metal preparation, including iron phosphate conversion coating, to enhance adhesion & prevent undercoat corrosion v \2 Zinc rich epoxy powder undercoat 3 TGIC polyester powder top coat baked at 400° to fuse coats forming a cross link molecular bond Hayes noted that the crop insurance reform movement is a major initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Agri culture. “1 wanted Generator Systems Diesel or Propane, 10-500 KW, Agricultural and Industrial. New, Used or Reconditioned Marlin Diesel Services Shop (570) 658-5303 Office (570) 922-4494 Farmco Feeder Wagon • 15" implement wheel (6 bolt) • 2 jacks on front corners for added stability. Program Extended to seize the opportunity for a good, long-term public policy coming out of the disastrous drought of 1999,” Hayes said. One of the first steps in developing affordable risk management plans for Pennsylvania farmers was to ded icate revenue to the task of helping to underwrite the cost of crop insurance in Pennsylvania. Before, the recent “reform move ment” insurance policies in the na tion were not inviting for Pennsylva nia’s diverse agriculture. Hayes formed a Pennsylvania Crop Insur ance Task Force and called national insurance companies and the Risk Management Agency to the Pennsyl vania Department of Agriculture to forge a crop insurance program that would be more reflective of mid-At lantic cropping systems. Pilot projects have been launched in 14 Pennsylvania counties which will further quantify the need for pol icy reform both in Pennsylvania and other states that have very diverse agriculture. To emphasize the importance of risk management, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture initiated 70 outreach meetings that were attended by approx- imately 4,000 farmers prior to this spring’s planting season. Other outreach and educa- tional programs, such as pub- lic service announcements, have also been initiated by PDA, and will be continued this fall and next spring. These meetings pro vide the opportunity for farmers to leam about the various crop insur ance policy options that meet their risk management needs. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Hayes received na tional recognition for initiating the reform movement. To expand the coverage to more eligible acres and crops, the Pennsyl vania Department of Agriculture has worked with crop insurance compa nies and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to expand the availabili ty of existing policies and develop more effective policy provisions such as Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR). Pennsylvania has insured more acres under the Crop Insurance As sistance Program than ever before. In just a few years, crop insurance cov erage has increased in Pennsylvania from 6,000 policies to approximately 15,000 policies. The Pennsylvania Crop Insurance Assistance Program covers ten per cent of the gross premium (about 20 The Kubota ZD Series Zero-Turn mowers are designed to meet or exceed expectations of professional users Ground speed up to 9.4 MPH, hydrostatic drive Tilt-up mower feature for easy blade access You need a professional turf mower that’s packed full of features, can handle non-stop daily use, be ultra-maneuverable and be cost effective. 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The Pennsylvania program is in ad dition to any federal crop insurance assistance that may be available from year to year. The Pennsylvania sign-up pro gram is congruent with the USDA/ RMA sign-up for crop insurance. To purchase insurance for crop year 2003, farmers may sign-up with their local crop insurance agent. The deadline for sign-up for this year’s fall planting is Sept. 30, 2002. The deadline for tree and vine crops is Nov. 20, 2002. Farmers eligible for the AGR program have until Jan. 31, 2003 to sign up. The deadline to sign up for next spring’s planting is March 15,2003. For additional information regard ing the Crop Insurance Assistance Program or AGR, contact the PA Department of Agriculture at (717) 787-2376 or the Website at www.pda, state.pa.us. Please check with your local crop insurance agent regarding your specific crop insurance policy requirements. A list of agents can be obtained on the RMA Website at rma.usda.gov. 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