Crop insurance designed to avoid farm crisis

Recent articles about drought and crop insurance have painted farmers as about to rip off the taxpayers (“Highest cost of drought falls on taxpayers,” Sept. 2). It is much more complicated than that.

Many farmers price a portion of their crop months in advance. A big yield could drop corn prices below $4. With input costs higher each year, farmers try to protect their bottom line by pricing some of their crop even before planting, so part of the crop is already sold at a lower price. Consider the farmer takes the first 15 to 50 percent drop in yield as a deductible - no payment on those bushels lost, standing that loss according to the policy coverage they bought. How many bushels does that leave most farmers to sell at that high price?

Aflatoxin may cause $8 corn to be rejected, ears dropping on the ground that will never be combined, and poor quality grain that will be docked or spoil, are all problems with a drought.

Crop insurance was designed to avoid a catastrophic farm crisis like the 1980s. Would the government put this system in place solely for the farmer's benefit? We think not; it is for the food security of the nation.

Myron and Betty Zumbach

Coggon