A lack of rain and high temperatures are impacting crops in several states. This is leaving some farmers to wonder what they should do if they suspect a crop loss on crop insurance covered acres.

Here are four tips to remember when it comes to making a crop insurance claim.

1. Contact your crop insurance agent for information regarding your specific obligations.

2. Notice must be provided within 72 hours of discovery damage or loss of production (but not later than 15 days after the end of the insurance period).

3. If there is no damage or loss of production and a revenue plan of insurance is in effect, notice must be given no later than 45 days after the latest date the harvest price is released.

4. Best Management Practices for crop care should continue until your crop insurance professionals tell you otherwise.

The message for everyone with crop insurance and a suspected loss is "call your crop insurance sales agent immediately and do what they say.”

It is suggested by some to get your instructions in writing. An insurance adjuster will show up, measure the crop, do some math to determine if a loss has occurred, and determine if the loss is large enough to trigger an insurance claim. It cannot be stressed enough that any suspected loss must be reported immediately..

Also, in a loss situation farmers may forget their crop insurance losses are based on either the projected price or the harvest price as determined by what crop insurance product they have in place. Farmers sometimes forget the price used is not the local cash price.

Generally speaking, crop farming money was tight in 2014 and 2015. Another tight year may not be pleasant for some. Don't forget to consider how this will impact farm suppliers that are holding unsecured credit for spring inputs. Farm financial management continues to be a high priority task.

Originally posted by Penn State University.