Ontario farmers who missed their April 1, May 1 and/or May 10 deadlines for production insurance filings now have until June 1 to enroll or make coverage changes.

Agricorp, the provincial farm program delivery agency, announced the extension Thursday.

The extension gives farmers the “time and flexibility to make business decisions and to assess their program coverage needs, especially in the current challenging times,” Agricorp said in a release.

The change won’t affect farmers’ coverage options, the agency said, and program delays “will not cause gaps in coverage.”

That said, farmers are advised not to wait until the last day to file, so as to allow time for Agricorp to process applications and “do any necessary follow-up.”

Several other program deadlines have been extended for Ontario growers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including enrolment deadlines for RMP coverage, enrolment and payment deadlines for AgriStability and payment deadlines for fruit and forage production insurance. — Glacer FarmMedia Network