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Excess Moisture Guidance & AFSC Support

Refer to this page for comprehensive information on crop insurance, field assessments, AgriStability, and disaster relief mechanisms.

Excessive precipitation can disrupt seeding, field access, and crop quality. The following resources outline immediate steps to manage saturated land, file claims with the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), and understand government risk management programs.

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Field Assessments & Inspection Strip Rules

If wet conditions force you to salvage, plow down, graze, or alter an insured crop, you must contact AFSC for an inspection and authorization before taking action. Altering crops without prior approval can jeopardize insurance coverage.

  • Inspection Strips Required: Representative standing strips or swaths must be left undisturbed along the length of the field (extending approximately one-third of the field width) for adjusters to evaluate.
    • Fields up to 100 acres: Requires a minimum of 2 strips (each at least 10 feet wide).
    • Fields over 100 acres: Requires a minimum of 3 strips (with the third strip running down the middle of the field). Quarter sections are treated as separate fields.
  • Inaccessible or Wet Spots: Saturated areas or weed growth do not remove the requirement for inspection strips. If severe flooding makes standard strip placement impossible, contact AFSC directly to arrange alternative assessment arrangements before removing the crop.
  • Photos & Drones: Photos can provide supplementary field context to your adjuster but do not replace an official in-person inspection.
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Harvest Reporting, Advances & Premium Stabilization

  • Harvested Production Reports (HPR): Submit your HPR via AFSC Connect as soon as harvest is complete to identify shortfalls early.
    • Perennial Crop Deadline: October 15
    • Annual Crop Deadline: November 15
  • Payment Options:
    • Payment by Declaration: Allows immediate compensation without an on-farm inspection if specific shortfall criteria and grain grades are met.
    • Post-Harvest Advances: Eligible producers can request an advance (e.g., 50% of the estimated shortfall for hay/timothy or annual crops) to access funds before final adjustment.
  • Impact on Future Premiums: AFSC uses a 25-year rating window to limit the impact of a single bad year. Yields falling below 70% of historical averages are cushioned up to the 70% threshold to stabilize individual yield coverage.
  • Unseeded Acres Next Spring: Land that remains flooded and inaccessible into the following season should be declared as "unseeded" on your spring Seeded Acres Land Report.

Business Risk Management & Disaster Relief Frameworks

  • AgriStability Late Participation: Open through October 1, 2026. Designed to protect against severe margin declines caused by increased expenses, reduced income, or lost inventory. Late participants incur a 20% benefit reduction penalty.
  • Municipal Declarations of Agricultural Disaster: A municipal declaration raises awareness of local hardship but does not directly trigger provincial funding or affect eligibility for provincial programs. All producers in need can access AFSC and AgriStability tools regardless of whether their specific municipality has issued a formal declaration.
  • AgriRecovery Framework: AgriRecovery is reserved for extraordinary costs associated with disaster recovery (not income replacement or yield shortfalls). There is currently no active AgriRecovery response for excess moisture.

External Links & Contact Information

Other Ag Resources

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