If you have any concern that you'll have loss due to mold, kernel quality, etc., you need to file a crop insurance claim with your agent by this Thursday, Dec. 10.

According to David Goshert, owner of Goshert Insurance, Warsaw, Ind., the paperwork needs to be filed, even if you haven't completed harvest. "Unlike aflatoxin, a lot of the molds we're seeing this year can be tested in the bin for determining crop loss," Goshert explains. (According to USDA rules, aflatoxin claims are dependent on an in-field test.)

However, if you wait past the Dec. 10 deadline, things get a little murky. Goshert explains folks technically have 72 hours to report a claim once a potential loss is discovered. But, he wouldn't chance it. "If a guy doesn't file a claim by the Dec. 10 deadline and come spring begins to pull corn out of the bin and then discovers he has 20% mold, he's in trouble," Goshert adds.

Additionally, once the claim is filed, the adjuster figures the loss according to the percent mold on the day of the test. The test for toxins must be paid for by the producer. If things get worse in the bin, it's the farmer's responsibility.

Goshert adds that most insurance companies require a producer have proof that three markets rejected the grain, before they process the claim. Once mold levels reach 35%, most commercial elevators begin rejecting loads.

Even though there's no magic number of percent mold where a claim should be filed, Goshert says most insurance companies require at least 10% mold in order to process a claim. "The bottom line is, if in doubt, they need to call their insurance agent and file a claim now," Goshert adds.