Home > About Us >Saskatchewan Crop Insurance 1997-2000

1997

• The deadline date to purchase, make changes to, or to cancel Crop Insurance was moved to March 15. Previously, there had been three sign-up dates for different products.
• Price options were reduced from three to one.
• Producers could chose from four coverage levels: 50, 60, 70 or 80% of their long-term average yield. The 75% coverage option was discontinued as it was only utilized by one per cent of customers.
• Unseeded acreage protection was made a standard feature with a $25/acre payment. The premium deductible was reduced from 20% to 10%.
• The deductible on the Forage Establishment Benefit increased from 10% to 30%, cost-shared with the producer paying 20% and the government paying 80% of the premium.
• Crop Insurance began monitoring the development of non-traditional crops to establish insurance programs for crops not covered by traditional insurance.
• Toll-free lines were introduced for each of the 21 customer service offices and head office.

1998

• The New Crops Insurance Program was introduced, insuring alfalfa seed and chickpeas (Kabuli and Desi). Coverage levels of 50, 60, and 70% were available to producers and prices were set with input from producer associations and industry specialists. Approximately 63,000 acres of chickpeas and over 23,000 acres of alfalfa seed were insured.
• Coverage levels for potatoes and dry beans were also available at 50, 60, and 70%.
• Crop Insurance monitored 17 crops not then insured, building a database on new and emerging crops for possible insurance coverage in the future.
• 21.5 million acres were insured. 16 million of those were insured with spot-loss hail. The weighted average coverage level purchased by producers was 67% and the average producer premium on 70% coverage without spot-loss hail was $2.50/acre with $75/acre coverage.
• For 1998 and subsequent years, producers' individual yields were calculated each time they grew a crop using 90% of their most recent average yield and 10% of their most recent annual yield. If they don't grow a crop for one or more years, their individual experience compared to the area would be used to establish their yield when they next insured the crop. New customers could use area average yields from the current premium tables or provide their own yield history.
• Between April 1, 1997 and March 31, 1998, 91,745 toll-free calls were received. Peak calling hours were 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  
  1999
  
• Two new spice crops were insurable: coriander and caraway. Saskatchewan was then the only province to insure these crops.
• Mustards were separated into three classes: yellow, brown and oriental.
• Winterkill was separated from yield-loss coverage for fall rye and winter wheat.
• Two price options were made available for potatoes: seed and processing varieties.
• The provincial average premium rate paid by producers on each dollar of coverage was approximately 40% lower in 1999 than 1996, regardless of commodity prices.
• The spot-loss hail option added approximately $1/acre on cereal crops in most areas. On average, hail rates had decreased approximately five percent since 1998.
  
  Complete information is available in the 1999-2000 Annual Report (PDF).
  
  2000
  
• Interest was waived on 2000 premiums until October 31.
• The federal and provincial government paid a higher share of premiums costs. Producers paid 10% of the cost for base coverage and 40% of buy-up coverage.
• Crop Insurance introduced the Variable Price Option, providing producers with an opportunity to receive higher coverage levels based on any price improvements made by June 30.
• The deadline for producers to sign-up, make changes to, or cancel their insurance was moved from March 15 to March 31.
• Establishment Benefit payments for crops that failed to establish before June 20 increased to $20/acre for cereals, flax, mustard and coriander; $25/acre for canola and sunflowers; and $30/acre for pulse crops (lentils, field peas, fababeans, chickpeas, dry beans).
• Unseeded Acreage payments increased to $50 per eligible acre.

Complete information is available in the 2000-2001 Annual Report (PDF).