| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Lee Boyer |
| June 23, 2007 | (406) 444-2402 |
Recent Storms Highlight Need for Hail Insurance
HELENA, Mont. — Montana farmers seeking to protect their investments in grain, hay and other crops should check to make sure they have purchased hail insurance.
Dryland producers can insure crops for up to $50 an acre and irrigated crops can be insured for up to $76 an acre under limits authorized by the 2007 Legislature. Higher input costs such as fuel, seed and fertilizer add to the risks farmers face when planting crops. State Hail Insurance can help minimize those risks, says Ron de Yong, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture, which administers the program.
Montana is the only state to operate a state hail insurance program. The program is self-supporting, and by law returns 1.5 percent of paid premiums to the state general fund. In addition to grain and hay, the program has policies to cover camelina, chickpeas, sugar beets and fruit including cherries, apples and grapes.
In December 2008, the Board of Hail Insurance approved a refund of 40 percent of the premiums paid last year, based on the incidence of hail losses. The program issued 2,269 hail insurance policies covering a record 1.9 million acres.
For more information about state hail insurance, contact the Montana Department of Agriculture's hail specialist at (406) 444-2402 or by email at agr@mt.gov
