Unseeded Acreage

The Unseeded Acreage (USA) feature is included with multi-peril insurance coverage and all producers have this protection for land that is too wet to seed due to excessive spring moisture.

Acres subject to flooding, such as sloughs in the field that are traditionally wet or remain underwater in a year of normal moisture, are not eligible. However, if a producer was able to work, mow or burn the areas that were wet, essentially prepare the seed bed in the fall, then this land would be considered eligible for USA coverage. Acres that are deemed as too wet to seed are excluded from any future USA claim calculations until they are in a condition to seed.

Any land that remains underwater due to previous years’ moisture is not eligible as it is not considered in adequate seeding condition.

SCIC strives to inspect all USA claims in a timely manner. Where USA claim volumes are high, producers may have their claims paid without an inspection.

There are four coverage levels: $50, $75, $100 and $125 per acre. Customers can choose the lower or higher coverage to correspond to their individual needs. Unseeded acreage premium will be charged on acres a producer normally seeds, whether or not the land is seeded or insured for yield-loss. This feature is not optional.

This feature does not provide payment on every reported wet acre. Eligible acres are the acres you normally seed that remain unseeded by June 20 due to excessive spring moisture. A five per cent deductible is applied to quarters with acres too wet to seed.

The deadline to submit an unseeded acreage claim is June 25. Claims received from June 26 to July 2 will be subject to a 25 per cent reduction in payment to a maximum of $1,000. Claims received after July 2 may be denied.

Unseeded Acreage and Establishment Benefit

If conditions are too wet to reseed, a producer may be eligible for an Unseeded Acreage claim on the acres where an Establishment Benefit was previously paid. These acres do not have to be destroyed to be eligible for the Unseeded Acreage benefit. If a field, or area in a field, is eligible for an establishment claim and excess moisture prevents another crop from being seeded, the Unseeded Acreage claim may be paid as well. There will be no further coverage on the affected acres. If the field, or area in the field, does not qualify for an Establishment Benefit – due to having sufficient plants or less than five acres in an adjoining block – the crop will have full yield‑loss coverage.