WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — Harvest season is in full swing for many of U.S. wheat growers. This year’s added precipitation has made disease more prominent in many wheat-growing states including Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), high levels of Vomitoxin may result in either a discount in price or the requirement to destroy the grain.

RMA urges producers to always report any damage within the required timeframes and seek advice from the insurance company before proceeding with harvest or destruction of the damaged crop. Failure to do so may jeopardize a claim. Crop insurance policies require that producers notify the company within 72 hours of noticing a loss. It is important to be proactive in checking fields to determine if there is any damage to the crop before harvest.

If producers carry crop insurance policies subsidized or reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, they may be eligible for quality loss adjustments if the reason for the loss in value is due to a covered event, such as the excessive precipitation received this spring.

RMA has established procedures for calculating a Reduction in Value that are outlined in Section C of the Special Provisions of Insurance in specific counties that can be found in RMA’s Actuarial Information Browser.