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<br />I <br /> <br />VII. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />There have been no updates on this program since the Bureau of <br />Reclamation Division of Atmospheric Resources Research performed <br />their evaluation of the first 11 years of program operation. We <br />finished our 16th season this year. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />For one thing, crop hail insurance rates have been unchanged <br />for the past two years, whereas, they used to change yearly. <br />Hopefully, when any new rates are presented, they may show a <br />continuing decline in premiums, if only slightly downward. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />On the subject of insurance rate changes: We probably are <br />getting close to the paint of not seeing a much further decline in <br />insurance rates unless we have attendant changes in the program <br />design. By this we mean we are most likely getting close to <br />having maximum long-term benefit from our efforts because of a lag <br />time between the reduction of hail and reduced long-term insurance <br />rates. Future performance may keep us at the status qua for some <br />time. Without increasing the numbers of aircraft and/or without <br />increasing individual aircraft seeding capability, additional <br />significant reductions in hail damage may only come at the <br />convenience of nature---when naturally light hail damage occurs <br />over an extended number of year$. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />This year we had excellent rainfall for most of the growing <br />season as reflected by the USDA/NOAA pUblication, "Weeklv Weather <br />and Crop Bulletin", which shows a significant portion of ,South- <br />western and Western Kansas 5011 moisture as "Favorably Roist" from <br />a lang-term perspective.,. the only area in the entire State of <br />Kansas to be designated that way in their latest statistics through <br />mid-August. However, despl te the general statistical accuracy, <br />there are usually specific locations within the described areas <br />which don't fit into the category. It's encouraging to us because <br />long term weather modification programs are supposed to work that <br />way, barring dramatic long-term climatic changes to the contrary. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />34 <br />