Public Meeting Notice: State Hail Board Meeting Friday, May 8
Discuss upcoming season and reinsurance options
Helena, Mont. – The Montana State Hail Board will be meeting on Friday, May 8 at 1:00 p.m. in preparation for the 2015 season. After a record hail year in 2013 and an average year last season, the board will be discussing reinsurance options in the event Montana experiences another severe hail year.
“The program has a 98 year history of providing coverage to help Montana farmers manage hail risk. This year will be no exception for the State Hail Insurance program; we will continue to provide the hail coverage that farmers have come to expect and rely on,” said Ron de Yong, department director.
The board meeting will be held on Friday, May 8 at 1:00 p.m. via conference call. A public toll-free number is available to call at 1(866) 899-4679 with access code 571-097-645 and an agenda is available on the department’s public notice website.
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.
The Montana State Hail Insurance program was created at the request of producers in 1917 to provide basic hail insurance coverage on any crop grown in Montana. The program is directed by a five-member board consisting of three producers appointed by the governor, the department director, and the state insurance commissioner.
The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit agr.mt.gov.