Things to know before you put a crop to alternate use

As Alberta’s growing season moves into stage 2, AFSC clients need to be aware that preharvest inspections are required prior to putting a crop to another use.

Alberta producers may experience a variety of weather conditions from late frost to prolonged periods of heat with little moisture throughout the growing season, both of which take a toll on crops. If severe growing conditions occur, some producers may put their crops to alternate uses rather than waiting for them to mature.

AFSC clients with Crop Insurance, Processing Vegetable, Hay or Export Timothy Hay insurance can choose to put their insured crop to an alternate use including pasturing, ploughing down, spraying out, silaging, stacking or any other type of immeasurable state, such as large square bales.

Clients who choose to put their crop to an alternate use need to contact AFSC to obtain approval to release the acres. Putting an insured crop to an alternate use before the acres are released by AFSC may impact the estimated yield, potential claim and future coverage.

To help ensure a smoother process, clients should contact AFSC at least five days in advance of starting the work. They will need to provide the crop type, number of acres and estimated yield on the acres that will be put to an alternate use. Depending on the estimate of yield, branch team members may be able to release the acres from the office, or, when the yield potential is lower than the selected coverage, an adjuster will need to complete a field inspection to determine the potential yield before releasing the acres.

Important: Clients must not dispose of or put an insured annual crop to a use other than combining, or for insured hay crops, putting up in dry measurable bales, without AFSC first releasing the acres. Putting an insured crop to an alternate use before the acres are released by AFSC may impact the estimated yield, potential claim and future coverage.

AFSC will work with clients to complete the field inspection as soon as possible. If an adjuster is not able to inspect the field before work is scheduled to start, clients can, once authorized by AFSC, leave standing inspection strips or exclosures on the acres being put to an alternate use. AFSC will complete the inspection and determine a yield appraisal as soon as possible.

For more information on Inspection Strips, please see the Inspection Strips resource. Information on exclosures can be found in the 2024 Hay Insuring Agreement. Clients are responsible for the maintenance of all inspection strips, swaths and exclosures.

Perennial crops must be left standing for AFSC to assess a yield potential; annual crops can be standing or can be swathed.