Crop Insurance Today February 2014 - (Page 17)

CropInsurance TODAY There's a right Tool for every Job! NCIS' IMAP could be the one you're missing by Dean Strasser, NCIS It is January 3rd of a brand new year as I write this article to tell you about a wonderful tool NCIS has developed over the past year and a half. This interactive map tool, or IMAP, can help make the lives of those who work in the crop insurance industry just a little bit easier. Because it is the beginning of a new year, it is a good time to reflect upon what was and what is to come. It was 17 years ago this month that I began working in crop insurance. I feel like I'm passing on (not that I'm anticipating leaving anytime soon) some sort of torch to those just entering the crop insurance business, because I'm saying the same things to new people as was said to me 17 years ago. I would often hear and now often say, "You just can't imagine how much simpler Federal crop insurance used to be." This was and is usually followed by a lengthy oral dissertation about the smaller size of the procedural handbooks, much fewer crop policies, endorsements and options, how an ordinary person could almost understand the prevented planting policy provisions, and so on. With the passing of a Farm Bill looming on the horizon (bringing with it more changes), only time will tell what new policy and procedures will be required for any added features and benefits added to the Federal crop insurance program. If the past is any indication of the future, we can all look forward to the Risk Management Agency (RMA) having all VisitWebsite ag-risk.org the time they need to develop complete and unambiguous policy and procedure language. Not a task that I envy of our partners at RMA. So where is all of this going? Let me explain. When I started with NCIS, one of the biggest challenges our training department faced was how to provide the Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) with the necessary Figure 1. CrOPINSURANCE TODAY® 17 http://www.ag-risk.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crop Insurance Today February 2014

Four Keys to 2014
A 25 Year Milestone in Farm Policy, Looking Back at the 1989 GAO Report
Excellence & Professionalism, No Matter What Comes Our Way!
Corn Loss Instructions Updated for 2014
There's a Right Tool for Every Job! NCIS' IMAP could be the one you're missing
Crop Insurance In Action: Crop Insurance Lifeline
FFA Proficiency Winner
Insurable Crops Locations & Plans
Crop Insurance In Action - A Young Farmer on a Mission to Stay in Farming

Crop Insurance Today February 2014