It has been an exceptionally difficult crop year for many of America\u2019s farmers and ranchers as drought conditions in the West and northern Plains have distressed crops and grazing lands. Approximately 210 million acres of crops are experiencing some level of drought conditions.<\/p>\n
Millions of farmers trust crop insurance to help manage their risks, including drought, and farmers have already spoken out about the importance of the farm safety net and crop insurance during years like these.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of our risk management programs, like crop insurance, will be vitally important this year for those producers,\u201d National Association of Wheat Growers Executive Director\u00a0Chandler Goule said<\/a>\u00a0after touring drought-stricken wheat fields in the Dakotas and Minnesota. \u201cMost of the producers we\u2019ve talked to\u2026I\u2019m not going to say they were optimistic but very thankful they had crop insurance programs.\u201d<\/p>\n While the full extent of drought damage is yet to be revealed, crop insurers are already engaged with farmers and ranchers on the ground to help them navigate this historic drought. Currently, more than 90 percent of America\u2019s row crop farmland is protected by crop insurance, and we stand at the ready to keep America growing \u2013 no matter the size or scope of the disaster.<\/p>\n So, how does crop insurance respond to a historic drought? We don\u2019t need to look very far back in the history books to find the answer.<\/p>\n In 2012, drought gripped America\u2019s heartland, leaving most of the country reeling from at least some level of drought. It was one of the worst disasters to hit American agriculture in decades.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing out in the fields\u2026 is a thoroughly depressing experience,\u201d Illinois farmer\u00a0David Andris<\/a>\u00a0told National Crop Insurance Services at the time. \u201cIf we didn\u2019t have crop insurance\u2026this year might be the end of it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The decrease in corn production per acre in 2012 was the largest caused by a drought since 1988.<\/p>\n