Crop Insurance Chad Hart Associate Professor chart@iastate.edu 515-294-9911 1

Crop Insurance One of many risk management strategies Traditionally set up to protect farmers in times of low crop yields Now offers coverage for low prices Available on over 100 commodities

Why Crops Fail

Types of Crop Insurance Individual Yield (YP) Area Yield (GRP) Individual Revenue (RP and RPE) Area Yield - Individual Revenue Combination (GRIP)

Example Farm A 100 acre corn farm in Story County, Iowa with a 5-year average yield of 180 bu/acre Purchases insurance at the 75% coverage level Spring price: $5.68/bu (average of Feb. prices for Dec. corn futures)

Individual Yield Insurance (YP) Farmer chooses percentage of expected yield to insure Expected yield measured by average yield Price at which the crop is valued is set up front and does not change If yields are 100 bushels per acre, the farmer receives $198.80 per acre = $5.68/bu * (75% * 180 bu/ac - 100 bu/ac)

Yield Insurance Payout Graph No Payout Payout

Yield Insurance is like an Option

Individual Revenue Insurance (RP or RPE) Farmer chooses percentage of expected revenue to insure Expected revenue measured by average yield times initial crop price Price at which the crop is valued can move with price changes in the market

Individual Revenue Insurance (RP or RPE) In our example, the farmer has insured $766.80 of revenue per acre (75% * $5.68/bu * 180 bu/ac) Final value of the crop determined by average futures prices over harvest period

Individual Revenue Insurance (RP or RPE) If yields are 100 bushels per acre and harvest prices average $4.50, the farmer receives $316.80 per acre 0.75*$5.68/bu.*180 bu./acre - $4.50/bu.*100 bu./acre

RPE Payout Graph No Payout Payout

Rev. Insurance is like an Option

Individual Revenue Insurance (RP) This policy has a “harvest price option” If the harvest price is greater than the planting price, then the harvest price is used in all calculations In essence, the policy is giving you a put option with the strike price at the planting price

Harvest Price Option

Individual Revenue Insurance (RP) If yields are 100 bushels per acre and harvest prices average $8.00, the farmer receives $280.00 per acre 0.75*$ 5.68/bu.*180 bu./acre - $8.00/bu.*100 bu./acre 8.00

RP Payout Graph No Payment Neither Pay RPE Pays YP Pays Both Pay RP Pays

Corn Insurance Prices Harvest prices have been higher 4 out of last 12 years

Soy Insurance Prices Harvest prices have been higher 6 out of last 12 years

What Units to Choose? Optional Units: Each farm is separate Basic Units: Combine owned and cash rented acres in same county Enterprise Units: Combine all acres of the same crop in same county Whole Farm: Combine all crops in county

Current Subsidy Rates 60% 64% 80% 65% 59% 70% 75% 55% 77% 48% 68% 71% Coverage level Basic Units Optional Units Enterprise Units Whole Farm Units 60% 64% 80% not avail. 65% 59% 70% 75% 55% 77% 48% 68% 71% 85% 38% 53% 56%

2012 Insurance Premiums Per Acre Premiums ($ per acre) Cov. Level YP RPE RP_ 50% 1.10 0.94 1.35 55% 1.80 1.55 2.33 60% 2.55 2.24 3.52 65% 3.91 3.01 5.75 70% 5.36 5.50 8.72 75% 7.83 8.75 14.00 80% 11.79 14.24 22.78 85% 17.97 22.55 36.36 For our example farm in Story County, Iowa for corn

Choosing Insurance Policy Choice depends on several factors Type of farm and crop mix How well the county average yield represents your farm Your marketing strategy

Iowa Corn Acres Insured in 2011

Iowa Soy Acres Insured in 2011

2011 Corn and Soy Coverage Levels

Thank you for your time! Questions?