Crop Year

Crop Year

1. In agricultural commodities, the period of time between two harvests. For many crops, this approximates a calendar year but some may have two crop years each calendar year. Due to weather and other conditions, the quality of the commodity may vary by crop year and thus affect pricing. Examples of commodities with crop years include corn, rice, and wheat.

2. In crop insurance, the fiscal year in which claims are processed. This is used in bookkeeping simply to keep as many claims and payments as possible in the same fiscal year. This is particularly important because crop insurance claims tend to be made around the same time, that is, following a bad harvest.