North Dakota Farmers Lose Key Crop Insurance Option

Federal prevented planting coverage buy-up eliminated for 2026 planting season

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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North Dakota farmers will be without a key federal crop insurance option this year as they prepare for spring planting. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency announced last fall that it was eliminating the extra coverage option for prevented planting insurance, which had been well used in North Dakota, leading to $3.18 billion in payments from 2010 to 2024 for the state's producers.

Why it matters

The loss of the additional prevented planting coverage is a concern for North Dakota farmers, who often face wet spring conditions that can prevent them from planting crops. The extra insurance had provided a layer of protection against weather-related planting disruptions, which are common in the state.

The details

The prevented planting coverage allows farmers to collect on their insurance policy if they are unable to plant a crop due to weather conditions. In the past, farmers could pay an additional premium to buy a higher level of this coverage, but that risk management option is not available to them this spring. An NDSU study concluded that improvements in other areas of crop insurance will not outweigh the loss of the additional prevented planting insurance for North Dakota.

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency announced the elimination of the extra prevented planting coverage option last fall.
  • North Dakota farmers have a March 15 deadline to make crop insurance purchases for the 2026 planting season.

The players

Justin Quandt

A farmer near Oakes, North Dakota who normally invests in the additional prevented planting insurance coverage.

Matt Perdue

The president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, who said the agency decision to eliminate the extra prevented planting coverage is disappointing.

Bethany Rentz

An insurance agent in the Hillsboro office of West Fargo-based Ihry Insurance, who said she hopes the extra prevented planting coverage will be brought back after pushback from other states.

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What they’re saying

“I would like to see it come back.”

— Bethany Rentz, Insurance agent (North Dakota Monitor)

“The agency decision is disappointing given that the One Big Beautiful Bill passed last year expanded federal crop insurance in other ways.”

— Matt Perdue, North Dakota Farmers Union president (North Dakota Monitor)

What’s next

A group of senators, including Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins asking to undo the prevented planting changes for 2027 and beyond "to help provide a layer of certainty when disasters beyond their control render them unable to plant a crop."

The takeaway

The elimination of the additional prevented planting insurance coverage option leaves North Dakota farmers with less protection against weather-related planting disruptions, which are common in the state. This change comes at a time when farmers are already facing significant challenges, and the loss of this risk management tool could have serious financial implications for many.