Keeping detailed records of malting barley production and sales could be especially helpful to malting barley growers now, according to Karen Hertsgaard, North Dakota State University Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences information specialist.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is rewriting and simplifying large sections of the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, which often is referred to as the COMBO project. These changes could impact malting barley producers through a contract fulfillment requirement under Option B of the malting barley endorsement.

The National Barley Growers Association and American Malting Barley Association Inc. (AMBA) opposed these requirements and it is not clear how they will be implemented.

“We don’t know what the final FCIC rule will look like, but we do know that the proposed rule had a contract fulfillment requirement,” says Scott Heisel, AMBA technical director. “Keeping good records may be the key to making the most of crop insurance in the future.”

The COMBO project is not scheduled for implementation until 2010 and may not be ready until 2011 or later.

NDSU Agriculture Communication