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As North Dakota farmers look ahead to planting season, a significant shift in federal policy is leaving them without a favorite financial safety net this spring.
For the first time in years, the “buy-up” option for prevented planting crop insurance has been eliminated by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, according to first reporting from Jeff Beach of the North Dakota Monitor. The decision is hitting North Dakota harder than any other state; according to NDSU, this extra coverage alone triggered $3.18 billion in payments to local producers between 2010 and 2024.
North Dakota relies on this extra coverage so heavily due to the nature of the land, and time constraints. Oakes farmer Justin Quandt tells the ND Monitor that a main issue is “prairie potholes” in some areas, which make it nearly impossible to plant as melting snow and rain creates quagmires that tractors must avoid. North Dakota also has one of the shortest planting windows in the country. There is no private option for prevented planting buy-up insurance, unlike hail or drought insurance.
The North Dakota Monitor reports that a group of senators, including Senator John Hoeven, wrote a letter to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, asking to “undo” the prevented planting changes for 2027, as changes cannot be made this year.
The deadline for farmers to finalize their alternative 2026 coverage is March 15th.
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