KIA&B 2015 Volume 20, Issue 5 | Page 16

International crop tour draws on experience of Kansas agents and insurers W hen agricultural leaders from Europe, Asia, Russia and South America wanted to learn more about food supply and crop insurance, they knew just where to go. In October, more than 280 farmers and insurers from 32 foreign countries visited Kansas where National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS), crop insurers, independent agents and county extension officers discussed crop insurance in the U.S. and walked the foreign delegation through processes such as how to estimate yields for insurance purposes. “The U.S. crop insurance system and the U.S. public-private partnership are the most developed systems in the world,” said Kurt Weinberger, president of IAHI. “The ag insurance sector must learn from the world’s best.” The delegation was comprised of members of the International Association of Hail Insurers (IAHI), which opted for the first time to host its annual conference in the U.S. where members could learn firsthand from their counterparts in the Midwest. The conference was co-hosted by NCIS and Rain and Hail. The four-day conference also included a trip to Jefferson County, Kansas, where visitors spent an Y