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Crop farmers in Virginia may' find themselves in a Catch-22 position with crop insurance this spring, reported an Extension specialist at Virginia Tech.
“Farmers who can afford crop insurance probably don’t need it and those who need it the most can least afford it,” explained James M. Moore, Extension agricultural economist. “It’s a real unfortunate situation,”
Without the protection that crop insurance offers, farmers who already are under financial stress are' placed in a precarious position. “Another bad year may be all it will take to put them out of business,” Mr. Moore said. 1
Crop insurance provides com, . soybean, and wheat growers with protection against catastrophic or potential income losses. Actually two insurance policies in one, it offers both protection against low yields and a price assurance for crops. Natural disasters such as hail, drought, flood, wind, and wildlife damage are covered, as well as insect and disease damage that was not due to human negligence.
Selecting a crop insurance policy can be a confusing and time-con- ' Burning task. “If the farmer decides that insurance is necessary, there are nine different options to choose from,” explained Mr. Moore.
A new computer program developed by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service can help make these decisions easier by applying risk management techniques to each farm situation.
“The program first helps farmers decide whether or not they should even raise the crop,” Mr. Moore
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