May is the busiest month for the Montana State Hail Insurance program, according to Jana Merton, Montana Department of Hail Insurance. “Producers have until Aug. 15 to get coverage, but most get their hail insurance now so they are covered in case of adverse weather,” Merton said. The coverage does not kick in until the crop reaches a certain stage, but most crops are getting close to that stage. This is also the 100th year celebration of the program. It officially began in 1917, but producers with winter wheat were actually insured in the fall of 1916 for the 1917 harvest. “Producers in this state along with producers in several states known as the ‘hail block,’ lobbied the Legislatures for hail insurance to fill coverage gaps,” Merton said, adding at that time, some regions of the state did not have any type of federal crop insurance, and most wanted at least some coverage. As the saying goes, “It hails somewhere every year,” and hail insurance provides that needed coverage. Producers were successful in their lobbying efforts and the Montana State Legislature passed legislation establishing the program. Today, many producers in the state count on the program to protect their acres from hail. In 2013, the hail board covered 1,046 losses totaling more than $14 million from hail events, a record for the program up to that point. In 2014, producers received increased coverage from the State Hail Board and also had a 5 percent raise in premiums. “The Montana State Hail Insurance Program was established 100 years ago by producers to fill coverage gaps in hail insurance. Because of the support of Montana producers, the program is still going strong to this day and is an effective tool to provide hail insurance for crops,” said Ron de Yong, director of agriculture. Producers can insure crops against hail damage at the maximum coverage rate of $75 per acre for dryland and $114 for irrigated land. Rates charged are a percentage of the insured amount and vary by county depending on the hail loss history of an area. A detailed list of rates by county and crop can be found on the program’s website. Source - http://www.theprairiestar.com/