Supplemental Coverage Available for 2015 Mississippi Winter Wheat

The Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) crop insurance endorsement will be available to winter wheat producers in Bolivar, Coahoma, Sunflower, Tallahatchie and Washington counties for 2015. SCO was authorized in the Agricultural Act of 2014 and will provide an indemnity payment when yield or market revenue (depending on whether the producer has a yield protection or revenue protection policy) measured at the county level falls below 86 percent of the expected county revenue as determined from county yield histories and futures prices.

The SCO indemnity payment size is determined by the proportion of the range of the loss below 86 percent down to the nominal coverage level of the producer’s farm-level crop insurance. A producer will pay 35% of the actuarially-fair premium (65% subsidy) for SCO coverage. While the indemnity is triggered by county level production or revenue, the producer’s actual production history yield is used calculate both the SCO indemnity and SCO premium.

Winter wheat producers in the five eligible counties will need to make SCO participation decisions by the September 30, 2014 sales closing date. Risk Management Agency will have the projected price for winter wheat available after September 14, 2014, at which time premiums will also be calculated.

A producer is not required to purchase SCO coverage. SCO is not available for acreage enrolled in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program. For fall planted wheat for the 2015 crop year only, an insured who applies for SCO and later elects to participate in ARC for winter wheat has until the earlier of the acreage reporting date or December 15, 2014 for any fall-planted wheat with an acreage reporting date after December 15, 2014 to withdraw SCO coverage on winter wheat on the farm for which ARC was elected for winter wheat and owe no premium. This is a one-time exemption that will only be allowed for 2015 crop year for fall planted wheat, to recognize that the ARC program rules may not yet be available to the public (FCIC-18180).

Producers who intend to plant winter wheat this fall in the five eligible counties are encouraged to contact their crop insurance agents regarding this important decision.