Ontario fruit and forage growers who have production insurance premiums due this month will now have until June 30 to pay, the province said Monday.

The extended premium payment deadline applies only to production insurance plans for fruit, strawberries and asparagus — and to the forage rainfall insurance plan, which uses rainfall as an indicator of forage yield and/or quality.

Coverage options for 2020 won’t be affected, and program extensions won’t cause gaps in coverage, “ensuring farmers continue to have coverage in place,” the provincial ag program delivery agency, Agricorp, said in a release.

Other production insurance premium deadlines “are staying the same at this time” and other production insurance program plan deadlines, such as enrolment and renewal, “also remain unchanged,” Agricorp said.

The deadline extension announced Monday “gives farmers the flexibility to pay later if they need to” as they deal with “challenges and uncertainties brought on by the COVID‑19 outbreak.”

Agricorp on Monday advised farmers paying premiums to do so through their financial institutions, online or by phone, as it “takes only a few minutes and is easier than paying by cheque, especially with the challenges of the current outbreak.”

If they wish, farmers “can still mail a cheque, but they should allow extra time for processing.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network