Iowa farmers can apply for cover crop insurance discount


By Filed Under: Crops, Iowa, News

Iowa farmers who seeded a cover crop this fall can apply for a crop insurance discount.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says those eligible can receive a $5 reduction on their spring premiums for every acre planted to cover crops.

“It’s an innovative way to provide some cost-share for folks who are adopting cover crops, (and) there’s no limit on the number of acres you can apply.”

He tells Brownfield since the program began five years ago about 1,700 farmers have enrolled nearly 700,000 acres.

“We wanted to make it very streamlined, so (farmers) plant the cover crop and then apply and we give you that $5 per-acre credit.”

Naig says the one caveat is farmers can’t double up on acres already receiving cost-share dollars from the state or USDA.