The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds farmers to sign up before the sales closing dates for Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and Stacked Income Protection Plan for Upland Cotton (STAX) risk management provisions for eligible 2015 spring crops.

The sales closing dates may be as early as Jan. 31 for certain crops and counties. However, for the majority of spring crops, the sales closing date is Mar. 15, 2015, according the USDA.

SCO is a county-level policy endorsement that cover a portion of the producer’s deductible of their underlying multi-peril crop insurance policy. It is available for corn, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley and spring and winter wheat.

STAX is an area-based revenue policy that is only available for upland cotton beginning with the 2015 crop year. It may be purchased as a stand-alone policy or as an endorsement to an underlying multi-peril crop insurance policy.

Click here for more information on SCO and STAX, including maps of crop availability, fact sheets, FAQ and policy information.