Soft Winter in the South and Its Effect on Crops

Looks like the fruit trees are already in full bloom, which is a little early for our area. I’m sure this is a result of the above average temperatures and not much of a meaningful winter.

In Texas, strawberries and sweet peas are thriving in the warm temperatures while the fruit bearing trees are going to struggle because they require a certain number of cooling/chilling hours which they haven’t gotten. Lots of trees are already in bloom and a late freeze now would likely kill off any growth making budding fruit drop to the ground.

Crop related insurance policies are complicated and require an expert to really break it down and determine what the coverage is on a loss. A lot of growers depend on cash based sales and don’t have receipts from previous years’ sales to help document a claim. Also, there is a difference in coverage relating to whether you grow for fresh sales or for processing. Although insurance cannot fully replace the economic loss of your crop, buying crop insurance could be considered the cost of staying in business for one more year.

Do you know what your policy coverage is and how it relates to your specific crops? Did you know there are options out there to engage an expert to assist with your claim so that you can continue to focus your time and efforts on what’s left in your field for the season at hand? Crop coverage is very unique and definitely an opportunity where an expert is needed.

We all love this time of year and the fresh produce that comes with it. Can’t wait for the first harvest!