What Does Farm Insurance Cover?

If you have a farm, you need a specialist kind of insurance. But what does farm insurance actually include, and what might you need to add on?

Farm insurance policies can include whatever you need. At its most basic level it will cover you for public liability on your land, and you may add cover for your farmhouse, its structure and its contents.

From there, what your farm insurance covers depends on how your farm operates, what machinery, equipment and outbuildings you have and what you want to include on your insurance.

In this article, we’ll go over these questions:

• Is public liability covered by farm insurance?
• What extra farm insurance can I get?
• Does farm insurance cover business interruption?

Because of the individual nature of many farming operations in Ireland, farm insurance is highly customisable. If you’re not sure where to start, just give us a call and we’ll be able to help.

Is public liability covered by farm insurance?

At a minimum, your standard farm insurance will cover public liability. This is the most important section of any insurance policy, as it covers damage or injury to members of the public and their property.

When you own a farm, you may encounter walkers and hikers taking shortcuts over your land. You need to post signs and maintain footpaths for their safety, as well as warning them of dangerous areas and livestock. Having public liability insurance in place is also necessary to protect yourself as well as countryside lovers in the case they come to harm on your land.

Not only that, but you may also deal with trespassers and poachers. Having public liability insurance means that if they come to harm while on your property, even illegally, this headache won’t turn into a nightmare.

Public liability is an essential part of standard farm insurance, but your policy may also include buildings and contents cover for your home.

What extra farm insurance can I get?

Once you find an ideal standard farm insurance policy, you can start building out the extra cover you need.

Common add-ons for farm insurance include:

• Cover for outbuildings, sheds and barns
• Livestock insurance
• Loss of milk and produce
• Agricultural vehicles and machinery
• Employers’ liability if you have regular workers

Insurable risks include fire, storm and flood, which will apply to any extra insurance you have on outbuildings and sheds. This means your insurance provider will pay out in the event that your property is destroyed by these risks.

When you insure your agricultural machinery and equipment, they will usually be covered for fire and flood as well as theft. You need to ensure you keep your valuable equipment secure and safe from thieves as well as adverse weather conditions. If you neglect your equipment, your provider is unlikely to process your claim successfully.

Does farm insurance cover business interruption?

Yes, if you add this section to your policy. If you are sick, injured, or otherwise unable to work, or if your business suffers an unforeseeable setback, having business interruption cover can help bridge the gap as you get back to normal.

It’s worth noting that as the farmer or business owner, you will not have cover under employers’ liability insurance or public liability insurance if you are injured. This is because this insurance is specifically only to cover your employees and other people on your farm.

To make sure you have adequate coverage as well, you need to take out a personal accident section of your farm policy. Business interruption insurance will cover your day to day operations, but it won’t pay for your hospital costs or personal recuperation.

Adding on personal accident cover will provide you with a weekly benefit in the event that you are unable to operate the farm.

We’re happy to provide you with the options and costs and discuss which option might suit you and your farm. Just give us a call today, and we can walk you through all you need to know.