The deadline to sign up for or change Saskatchewan crop insurance contracts is March 31. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. chief executive officer Shawn Jaques said significant changes to this year’s program offer more benefits to producers. For the first time, the insurable area for faba beans has been expanded to cover the entire province. Jaques said the crop was previously insurable mostly in northern regions where more moisture allowed faba beans to thrive. Genetic improvements have allowed the crop and for it to perform better in drier areas, he said. Increased establishment benefits for soybeans, lentils, barley and Khorasan wheat were implemented to reflect things like increasing seed prices, Jaques said. For example, the establishment benefit price for eligible barley crops is $25 per acre while for soybeans it is $80. Forage insurance has also improved. “The cap on the variable and in-season price option has been removed,” Jaques said. This means if the market price for hay rises during the year, producers who select the two pricing options will see the entire increase reflected in claims. Forage establishment benefits are now up to $70 per acre. Unseeded acreage options, for land that is typically seeded but too wet to seed before June 20, include $50, $70, $85 or $100 per acre coverage. Producers with questions should contact their local offices or call 888-935-0000 before the deadline. Source - producer.com