SASK CROP INSURANCE 07

[SASKFARMER3]

Well the annual joke of farm programs in Saskatchewan has been shown to the people in Regina and Saskatoon today.
(sarcasm only ones watching the news tonight on this live in Regina or Saskatoon most farmers have tuned it out)
Again they are using numbers based on Dec 31 of 06
Well Canola is the carrot crop rest are 70% of the market price again.
They are bragging how coverage is going up, dah prices are up (05 yield coming in) and when your coverage is close to $55.00 an acre for top coverage any increase is a blessing.
Most farmers cost will also increase to off set this increase in coverage.
No hail coverage.
Again the NDP and their advises have created a program with lots of fanfare and little substance. They learned a lot from the Federal liberals!

[JACKFLASH]

We are made by the banks to carry crop insurance.If your numbers are correct,coverage should just cover the fertilizer bill,and the burnoff.
Real good program we have here!!!!!!!

[charliep]

Will note Saskatchewan has a variable price option as a methodology to increaese coverage levels if prices increase - extra premium/don't know methodogy. This deals with some of the issues of setting crop insurance prices too low for coverage levels. Alberta has this a standard feature (included in the premium) of the crop insurance program (variable price benefit).

[charliep]

Had to go to the Sask crop insurance website to check to compare to Alberta.

http://www.saskcropinsurance.com/programs/

I note the price is based off July which is in the middle of weather scare season for corn and soybeans. Having done this in the past in Alberta (moved to October now), this can create some interesting opportunities/challenges. Also note nothing is said about the methodology of how prices are established. Alberta has tried to be visible in setting fall prices so farmers are aware of how will be established at the time of sign up.

I also note the contracted price option for canary seed, mustard and IP canola. Has been looked at in Alberta. An interesting program.

[SASKFARMER3]

Charlie I have been With Sask Crop insurance since we started farming their program is the worst out of all three prairie provinces. In disaster years you pay your fertilizer and chem and then worry for the rest.
Its a smoke show to make it look like their doing something for the farmers, then the city folks discuss how good of coverage the rural has.
Yea insure your 425,000 house for $160,000 see how long you'll survive. one fire maybe but after three your living in a trailer.

[mustardman]

I think we should get government right out of the crop insurance. Let the free market reign !!

Put up a big sign - Open For Business-

Private insurance companies would treat us fairly I'm sure of it !

Get a number of private companies , to compete against each other and surely the premiums would drop.

Look over yonder in Alberta ,their car insurance is private so why not crop insurance?

[wedino]

Good point you make about hail coverage Saskfarmer, just another friggen tax(dropping the hail coverage).

[wedino]

Have you ever checked Alberta auto insurance premiums, Mustard. It would cost me less in Ab.

[kamichel]

Crop ins. is just an organization used to increase farmers incomes it keeps no one in business. My father never used crop insurance and never have I. I figure the gov't should pay me 300,000 dollars for the money I have saved them.

[mustardman]

Wedino
My point is that some people say that their is too much gov't involvement in agricuture and then when the gov't is involved such as in Crop insurance these same people say their should be more gov"t involvemnt. SO Which Is It??

By the way Spot loss hail ,the way we used to have it,was only available in Sask.
You could collect a hail claim and then claim on post harvest yield claim as well. It was too good to be true but it was nice when it happened.

The nice thing about Sask Crop. being involved in hail was that it kept the line companies honest.
Their rates used to be alot more competitive when crop ins. was in the game , now rates go up and stay up .

[charliep]

In reading, it would appear Saskatchewan varible price option does not have a trigger (in Alberta, prices have to increase by more than 10 % to trigger a the variable price benefit). Any increase in prices will increase coverage.

In a volatile market (likely the case this summer), the Saskatchewan variable price optins is likely money well spent is you take crop insurance.

[SASKFARMER3]

karmical your wisdom is like two of my neighbors!
Their auction sales were last spring for one and the other is this year.
Why because they thought like you that no insurance was better than having insurance. They used the same theory that their fathers never took any insurance and they could survive. Well guess what their GONE!!!! Yes their fathers from 1967 to 2000 had no DISASTER but from 2002 to 2005 WE had Frost (nothing to harvest) drought 03 then 04 Frost (nothing in any crop all gone) then flood in 05 that most of the farm never was seeded. So if you came through the same thing then you can talk but if you haven't then think what your saying.
As for Government in SASK the NDP has never been their for their own they only care about one thing keeping in power and years ago they gave up on Rural Saskatchewan.
Insurance is up to individuals but if its the only help in town for a disaster (CASIP is not) then you have to use it.

[wd9]

2 challenges for Sask in crop insurance.

1. Would be to get some revenue insurance on those covered bushels at an affordable rate to the farmer. Basically an affordable, CI aggregated, and subsidized put option on the insured value.

2. To get a higher sharing percentage from the federal government due to its tax base and number of farmers.

Do any of you know of any initiatives moving forward to address these issues?

[FarmRanger]

It depends on your situation S3, sorry to hear caisp hasn’t worked for you and crop insurance has, but for my farm it’s the opposite.

I take the 60% coverage crop insurance for the hail rider. (With the 30% Alberta gov’t payment, it’s cheaper than straight hail). I’ve paid more into the crop insurance portion than I’ve ever taken out over the years, and that’s not including the government portion of the premium. They’ve made money on me.

Maybe by the time I retire, my coverage will climb enough that the 70% coverage they tell me I’m getting is actually 70%. In the meantime, I’m paying out money to get future higher coverage and lower premiums.

Sure I might get the disaster you speak of, but caisp has effectively acted as my production insurance, while CI has only provided a portion of hail insurance at cheaper rates. And yes, in 2005, we had a huge production reduction. Caisp paid well, crop insurance payment was 0.

I’d like to see a system where those subsidies that go toward my crop insurance premium are held in an account, together with the premiums I pay. When I get a reduction in production, let me take that money out.

[SASKFARMER3]

Their is work in place on a disaster program but the provinces think CASIP is working just great. ASK ANY FARMER THEIR OPINION ON THAT ONE>

Crop insurance with hail kept the hail company's more honest which is good.
seemed every time you had a hail claim the adjuster always wanted to know how the crop insurance guy did and then they went just a little bit better.

Karmicle your from Humboldt and you never had frost or floods HM must be growing some new specialty crop with lights in a quonset for extra cash or just living on daddy's money.