Growing Season Update

Gopher Damage

Many areas of the province are experiencing damage caused by gophers. Whether you are a Crop Insurance customer or not, all Saskatchewan producers may be eligible for coverage on gopher losses, through the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program.

Producers can register a wildlife damage claim. An adjuster will inspect the damage and initially assess the loss. Prior to harvest, producers are required to contact SCIC for an adjuster to assess yields and finalize the claim.

Wildlife Damage compensation payments are automatically calculated into any additional Crop Insurance yield-loss claim payments.

Please speak with your local SCIC office to discuss your coverage and claim options.

Pest Damage

Causes of loss due to pests, such as grasshoppers, are covered under the Crop Insurance Program if the customer exercises normally accepted farm management practices to prevent or control the loss. If no attempt to prevent or control the damage is made, SCIC may withhold a portion of the claim.

To determine whether adequate preventative and control measures are taken to control grasshoppers, SCIC will consider the severity of the infestation predicted for the area, the actual infestation level that occurred and control measures taken by the majority of other producers in the same situation.

For Organic producers, SCIC will look at what available cultural control methods were used by the producer in relation to other organic producers in the same situation. Examples of cultural control methods include appropriate crop selection (seeding less susceptible crops), early seeding, using fall-seeded crops, maintaining weed-free summerfallow land in the previous year and using guard strips around susceptible crops. A primary consideration will be the comparison of preventative and/or control measures implemented by other organic producers in areas where grasshoppers are a problem.

Alternate Use

Producers decide what they want to do with their crop. SCIC has processes in place to work with producers. Crop Insurance customers wanting to put their crop to an alternate use can contact SCIC for a pre-harvest appraisal. SCIC recognizes there is a cost to harvest a severely damaged crop. If the appraised yield falls below the established threshold level, SCIC can reduce the appraisal to zero based on the information gathered during the inspection. This threshold level is meant to reflect the approximate cost of harvesting a severely damaged crop. Crop Insurance customers are encouraged to call their local SCIC office if they have any questions about filing a Pre-Harvest Claim or to discuss their options.

A pre-harvest claim is filed when the producer decides not to take the damaged crop to harvest and puts the land to an alternate use. To account for all production, an adjuster will inspect any acres put to an alternate use. The appraised value will be added to the total harvested production for that crop in the event of a claim.

Please contact SCIC prior to putting crops to an alternate use.

Fire Insurance

Grazing acres are protected against the impact of dry conditions through the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program. Fire insurance is available under the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program and must be endorsed by March 31 of each year. Coverage is available on insured acres for the full year, from April 1 until March 31.