1. Public liability

If you take out this insurance the farm business will be covered in case a third party, such as a member of the public, a supplier or visitor to your farm is injured, killed or has their property damaged on a farm and you are found to be negligent.

Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement, but it’s important to understand that in the event of a claim, your business will be liable for the amount awarded should you be deemed negligent. There has been a huge increase in personal injury claims over the last few years, so it is advisable to have some public liability cover as the cost of a claim can be very high.

2. Employer’s liability

Employer’s liability insurance protects your farm business against a legal liability for injury, illness, disease or death of any employee under a contract of service with your business.

In the Republic of Ireland, employer’s liability insurance is not compulsory. However, you are responsible for the health and safety of employees while they are at work. Employer’s liability insurance will enable you to meet the cost of compensation for your employees’ injuries or illness which may occur while they are working for you.

Cover is available for both family and non-family workers. With some insurance companies, cover can be for voluntary helpers at a reduced rate, without any stipulation around having paid staff.

Workplace accidents occur often in Ireland. The most common incidents involve falls from heights and working with machinery in construction and agriculture sectors.

An employer’s liability claim can occur in a number of different ways. If there are unsafe work practices and/or procedures that lead to injury, the employer could be seen as being negligent. An example of an unsafe workplace would be a construction site with tools lying around, unattended plant or machinery or even a lack of health and safety training provided by the employer.

Manual handling is another area in which insurers are keen to stress that adequate training should be provided. This can be done with relatively little fuss by providing basic health and safety training as part of any induction for a new employee.

3. Farm dwelling house

Farmhouse and contents cover to protect your home and your business. This cover includes many features such as business contents protection, fire brigade charges cover, and accidental damage cover.

4. Tractors and agricultural vehicles

There are different levels of insurance including third party, fire and theft, and comprehensive cover for farm vehicles. There is also insurance for trailer cover.

5. Jeep insurance

Some insurance companies offer special insurance on farm jeeps that are more than 10 years old and are used for farming, social, domestic and pleasure purposes.

6. Farm outbuildings

Make sure that you have adequate insurance on your outbuildings, including storm cover.

7. Outbuildings contents

Ensure farm contents are covered which include hay and straw, agricultural produce, and implements and utensils.

8. Livestock

Insurance can be arranged for animals in case of fire, lightning, explosion, storm, and electrocution, collapse of slats, and livestock on foot.

9. Theft of tools

Cover can be arranged for farm tools (as an add-on) you own if your insured farm property is broken into.

10. Theft of diesel

Some insurance companies can provide cover for the theft of diesel.

11. Specialist equipment

Insurance can be arranged to cover specialist equipment, including bulk milk tank, AI flasks, cameras, tack, trailers, calving cameras, etc.

12. Dog worrying of sheep

This insurance provides protection for a sheep flock against fatal injury or necessary slaughter arising from dog attack or dog worrying.

13. Livestock theft

This cover protects against loss of livestock, stolen and unrecovered, due to theft.

14. Pedigree livestock

If you have pedigree livestock, cover can be arranged for death or infertility.

15. Loss of Basic Payment Scheme

Insurance can be provided for the loss of the Basic Payment Scheme due to accidental damage of items covered under farm outbuildings or their contents.

16. Loss of milk

This covers loss or deterioration of milk contained in the tank, including loss due to failure of any thermostatic controlling device, the public supply of electricity, or damage to the bulk milk tank. It also covers loss of a farmer’s milk if it’s rejected by the co-op because of accidental contamination by antibiotic residue and failure of the co-op to collect.

17. Growing crops

This type of insurance covers loss of or damage to growing crops caused by fire, lightning, explosion, impact and aircraft.

18. Forestry cover

This will protect for storm and re-instatement cover, and fire cover.

19. Income protection insurance

Income protection insurance pays out a regular cash payment that replaces part of your lost income if you can’t work due to a medium- to long-term illness or disability. To have income protection insurance cover you generally have to be in full-time paid work or be self-employed. Income protection insurance does not cover redundancy.

20. Personal accident insurance

While liability cover protects your liabilities to third parties, personal accident cover provides specified financial benefits to the farmer should he/she be involved in an accident. For cover to operate, the accident must be caused directly by accidental means. Examples would be injuries caused as a result of a vehicle or machinery accident.