Release No. 0430.97 
Questions & Answers                                              

                                ON
                       PREVENTED PLANTING


1.   Will the Risk Management Agency consider additional changes to the
     cotton prevented planting provisions?

     Additional changes cannot be made for the 1998 crop year.  However, in
     light of the comments received regarding the prevented planting
     coverage level for cotton, RMA will solicit additional comments for
     the 1999 and succeeding crop years.

2.   Does prevented planting coverage apply to CAT (catastrophic coverage)?

     Yes.  Protection is 60 percent of the production guarantee for timely
     planted acreage for coarse grains (corn, grain sorghum, and soybeans),
     small grains (wheat, barley, oats, rye, and flax), dry beans, and
     sunflowers; and 45 percent for upland cotton, ELS cotton, sugar beets,
     onions, and rice.  Producers with CAT coverage are not eligible for
     optional prevented planting coverage levels.

3.   How is prevented planting determined?

     Producers are eligible for a prevented planting payment when an
     insured crop is not planted by the final planting date, or within the
     late planting period, due to any insured cause of loss that has
     prevented most producers in the surrounding area from planting on
     acreage with similar characteristics.  Prevented planting production
     guarantees are paid on a per acre basis once the specified minimum
     number of acres are prevented from being planted.  

4.   Are "ghost crops" allowed?

     Cover crops not for harvest are the only ones permitted on prevented
     planting acreage.  Producers may hay or graze the cover crop after the
     final planting date for the insured crop.

5.   What does prevented planting coverage cost?

     Premium for prevented planting coverage is included in the base
     premium.  Producers who select the option to increase the amount of
     prevented planting coverage will pay a slightly higher premium amount. 
     

6.   What acres are eligible for prevented planting payments?

     Generally, the maximum number of acres of the crop planted or insured
     in any one of four most recent crop years.  The minimum number of
     acres that must be affected before a prevented planting payment may be
     made is the lesser of 20 acres or 20 percent of the acreage in the
     insurance unit.  Eligible acres may be increased if producers provide
     proof that additional acreage was purchased or leased in time to plant
     it for the current crop year.      

                                

7.   Have the late planting provisions changed?

     Yes.  Maximum coverage reductions due to late planting have decreased
     from 40 percent to 25 percent.  For most crops, coverage is reduced
     one percent per day for each of the 25 days following the final
     planting date.  Acreage planted after this 25-day late planting period
     may receive a production guarantee equal to the guarantee for
     prevented planting acreage if it cannot be planted by the final
     planting date or within the late planting period.

8.   Is prevented planting due to drought covered?

     Yes.  However, for non-irrigated acreage, the area that is prevented
     from being planted must be classified by the Palmer Drought Severity
     Index as being in a severe or extreme drought.  For irrigated acreage,
     there must be an inadequate water supply to carry out an irrigated
     practice.

9.   When do producers have to report prevented planting losses?

     Producers must report possible prevented planting losses by the
     acreage reporting date.



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