Does Crop Insurance Cover Your Stored Grain or Just What’s in the Field?

Harvest season brings a wave of decisions for Missouri farmers, and one question that often comes up late in the year is whether the grain sitting in your bins is covered by your insurance. The short answer is that it depends on the type of coverage you carry.

What Crop Insurance Typically Covers

Most federal crop insurance policies are designed to help cover crops during the growing season. Coverage typically applies to production losses caused by drought, excessive moisture, hail, wind, frost, insects, disease and other qualifying perils. Policies generally cover the crop while it’s in the ground or at the point of harvest, though the specific terms can vary depending on the policy type and the coverage level you select.

Is Stored Grain Covered?

Once grain moves into storage, standard crop insurance typically does not follow it there. Stored grain faces its own set of risks, including fire, spoilage, pest damage and structural failures in bins or facilities. These losses may be addressed through a separate grain bin or farm property policy rather than your crop insurance. Coverage options can vary by policy and insurer, so reviewing what you actually have in place is important before you assume you’re covered.

A few things to consider when evaluating stored grain coverage:

• Whether your farm property policy includes coverage for grain in storage
• The perils listed as covered and any exclusions that apply
• Coverage limits relative to the volume of grain you typically store
• How claims are valued, whether by market price or another method

Talk to a Team That Knows Agriculture Coverage

Grain storage coverage is one of those details that can fall through the cracks when considering your farm insurance package. Contact W E Walker-Lakenan Insurance to review your current agriculture insurance and confirm the grain you’ve worked hard to produce has the right coverage from field to bin.

This blog is intended for informational and educational use only. It is not exhaustive and should not be construed as legal advice. Please contact your insurance professional for further information.