American farmers, hampered by cold, wet weather across the Midwest and grappling with the fallout of the U.S.-China trade standoff, are looking at taking insurance payouts instead of planting their crops—which may take a large bite out of next year’s U.S. agricultural supplies. Many farmers take out crop insurance each year that includes a prevent-planting clause, which promises modest payouts if the seeds can’t be sown. While these payments don’t fully replace the income farmers would receive from selling their crops, they...

Source: Wall Street Journal May 21, 2019 18:00 UTC