IL Farmers May Qualify for $5/Acre Crop Insurance Discount

Illinois farmers that plant cover crops may qualify for a $5 per acre discount on their 2021 crop insurance invoice when accepted into the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) program and purchasing from a participating Approved Insurance Provider (AIP).

IDOA is supporting 50,000 acres of cover crops with the $5 per acre discount in 2020. Acceptance into the program is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

ICGA made this crop insurance discount opportunity an advocacy priority in 2020. We understand the financial risks involved in trying new farm management tools and we hoped to maximize cover crop acres in Illinois by offsetting some of that risk.

Farmers must certify their fall-planted cover crop acres with the Farm Service Agency office to apply for the program through the Illinois Department of Ag website. The application period is open December 15, 2020 through January 15, 2021.

This program is designed to incentivize additional acres of cover crops beyond those supported by IDOA and/or USDA NRCS programs. IDOA will verify applications and cross-reference with other state and federal programs to avoid overlapping acres. The discount will have no cap on eligible acres per farmer.

Additional acres of cover crops have proven to be one of the most effective in-field management strategies to stem the loss of both nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus from corn-soybean fields. To accomplish the goals of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy with voluntary farmer actions, this incentive program hopes to increase the acres of planted cover crops from the current four percent in Illinois annually.