releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=37e1ba6b-e4f8-4a8a-bfd1-fa37481b34d8
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=37e1ba6b-e4f8-4a8a-bfd1-fa37481b34d8 | Heitkamp Presses USDA Risk Management to Provide Fairness to North Dakota Farmers Prevented from Planting | 2013-06-06 | 2013 | 2013-06 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Contact: Whitney Phillips, 202.224.2043 WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today pressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency to honor its commitments to North Dakota farmers by ensuring crop insurance coverage for growers unable to plant due to wet conditions. “Missing a planting window can be as devastating to farm family’s bottom line as drought or midseason flooding. For insurance programs to function effectively as risk mitigation tools that serve the needs of all regions of the country, it is important that prevented planting coverage be made available whenever appropriate,” wrote Senator Heitkamp in a letter to the Risk Management Agency at USDA. Heitkamp raised concerns in the letter about the possibility that growers who qualify for prevented plant coverage may be denied by the Risk Management Agency. “Farmers may be prevented from planting as many as 2 million acres of farm land this year due to abnormally high precipitation and field moisture,” said Heitkamp. The Federal Crop Insurance Program offers growers prevented planting coverage in insurance policies, which can provide valuable risk protection when wet weather conditions prevent expected plantings. Below is thefull letter Senator Heitkamp sent to the USDA RMA Administrator Willis: June 4, 2013 Mr. Brandon Willis Administrator, Risk Management Agency U.S. Department of Agriculture South Agriculture Building, Room 6092-S 1400 Independence Ave, SW Washington, DC 20250 Mr. Willis, I write to stress the importance of prevented planting protection for the growers of the state of North Dakota, and to raise concerns about the application of the “1 in 4” rule at the Risk Management Agency in some counties in North Dakota that experienced regular precipitation in crop years 2008 and 2012. Missing a planting window can be as devastating to farm family’s bottom line as drought or midseason flooding. For insurance programs to function effectively as risk mitigation tools that serve the needs of all regions of the country, it is important that prevented planting coverage be made available whenever appropriate. Farmers in my state have contacted me to express their concerns regarding the availability of prevented planting coverage in the 2013 crop year given the wet conditions, particularly in the north and north eastern part of the state. In a recent communication to the growers of North Dakota, RMA highlighted “questionable acreage which was last planted in 2008 and again in 2012, both of which were crop years proceeded by dry spells the last 4?6 months before the planting season began.” Based on this statement, I am very concerned that RMA will make an across the board judgment that acres planted in North Dakota in 2008 and 2012 will not count towards the “1 in 4” rule for prevented planting eligibility on the basis of the presence of abnormally dry conditions. While it is true that there are parts of North Dakota that experienced drought in that window of time, there are many parts of the state that experienced normal precipitation during in one or both of the years highlighted by RMA. To disqualify plantings in an across the board fashion in those years from counting towards the “1 in 4” rule would be arbitrary and an inaccurate reflection of the field conditions in my state. Due to my concerns regarding an across the board designation of abnormally dry conditions in North Dakota, I write to reiterate that RMA must assess the precipitation and moisture levels for acres in each county individually for crop years 2008 and 2012. Considering each county individually will show that many acres were planted in 2008 and 2012 under normal precipitation conditions and should thus be counted towards the “1 in 4” rule for prevented planting coverage. Thank you for your consideration of this request. I appreciate your dedicated service to American agricultural and rural communities, and I look forward to working with you on crop insurance issues going forward. If you or your staff have questions or require any additional information or assistance, please contact Jack Huerter in my office at 202.224.9894 or jack_huerter@heitkamp.senate.gov. Sincerely, Heidi Heitkamp United States Senator Cc: Doug Hagel, Director, Risk Management Agency Billings Regional Office | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |