Netting, trellis and structures
Hail netting, posts, wire and support structures against storm and wind, subject to the policy terms.
Orchard Insurance
0418 166 122Compare orchard insurance quotes from multiple Australian insurers. Insurance quotes from a licensed Australian broker with Steadfast network access.
By requesting a quote you accept our financial services guide and privacy policy. General information only.
Orchard Insurance
Cover for pome, stone, citrus and nut orchards and their packing plant.
An orchard is a long-dated asset. Trees take years to come into production, so losing them to fire, storm or flood costs several seasons of income rather than one. Hail netting is often the largest single item on the schedule and it is exposed to exactly the events it exists to stop. Cool storage and packing plant carry their own breakdown risk.
What is it?
Australian orchards run apples and pears in the Goulburn Valley, Batlow, Stanthorpe and the Huon, citrus in the Riverina, Riverland and Sunraysia, avocados around Bundaberg and the Atherton Tablelands, macadamias on the Northern Rivers, and almonds along the Murray. Blocks combine trees, trellis and netting with irrigation, frost fans, packing sheds and controlled atmosphere cool storage.
What does orchard insurance cover?
Cool storage and packing plant
Refrigeration and grading plant breakdown, plus fruit spoiled as a consequence.
Trees and standing fruit
Defined event cover for trees and crop, arranged by variety, block and region.
What affects the cost?
- Hectares planted and tree age
- Netting value and span
- District hail and frost history
- Cool store capacity and plant age
- Packing and grading plant values
Worth raising on the call
- Netting is often insured for material cost only and not the labour to re-hang it.
- Replanting cost and years of lost production are different things and are treated separately.
- A controlled atmosphere storage failure can affect an entire season's fruit in one event.
Claims we are commonly asked about
Netting comes down on young trees
A storm brings a bay of hail netting down across an apple block, tearing structure wire and snapping trees that were two seasons from full production. The netting, the posts and the damaged trees are typically assessed as separate items with separate limits.
Controlled atmosphere room breaks down
A chamber loses gas control over a long weekend and a room of stored pears breaks down before it can be graded and sold. Recovery generally depends on the breakdown section responding and on the fruit having been declared at its stored value.
Fire scorches an almond block
A fire in a shelterbelt runs into an almond block and scorches several rows along with dripline and irrigation risers. The trees, the irrigation infrastructure and the production years lost while replants mature are treated quite differently from each other.
Worth confirming in the wording
- Worth confirming whether trees are insured on a replanting cost basis or on a value that reflects their age, and how the years before a replant produces are handled.
- Worth confirming whether storm damage to netting requires a minimum recorded wind speed or a defined storm event, since netting failures sometimes occur below that threshold.
- Worth confirming whether frost damage and the failure of frost fans or overhead sprinklers are contemplated anywhere in the crop section, as frost is commonly handled separately.
Common questions
Does orchard insurance cover hail damage to fruit?
Crop cover against hail is generally available as a specific section rather than being automatic, and it is priced on the district's hail history and the varieties grown. How marked fruit is valued matters as much as whether it is covered, because the loss is often the gap between fresh market and processing price rather than the whole crop.
Is my hail netting covered for wind as well as hail?
Netting is commonly insured against defined events including storm and wind, but the limits, the basis of settlement and any conditions about maintenance and tensioning vary between wordings. Because netting is often the largest single item on an orchard schedule, it is worth checking whether reinstatement includes the labour to re-hang it, subject to the policy terms.
Do I need business interruption if I already have crop cover?
They answer different questions. Crop cover responds to the fruit lost in the event, while business interruption responds to the income lost while packing, cool storage or the block itself is out of action. An orchard that loses trees can face several seasons of reduced production, which is generally a separate conversation to the crop on the ground.
What does orchard insurance cost?
It depends and cannot be quoted sight unseen. The usual drivers are hectares planted and tree age, the value and span of netting, the district's hail and frost history, cool store capacity and plant age, and the value of packing and grading plant.
General information only. Cover, limits and exclusions depend on the PDS, TMD, eligibility, underwriting and the policy terms. See farm insurance for the wider picture.
10 Years Advising Steadfast Network Access Licensed Australian Brokers Australia-Wide
Quotes That Are Fast And Easy
Get a quote fast. Compare quotes from multiple insurers. Get the best deal for your orchard insurance.
How Do You Get Started?
We make orchard insurance fast and easy at Insurance Time. Get a quote today.
-
Start a quote.
Fill the quote form above, or call us on 0418 166 122.
-
Quotes gathered.
Our team will approach insurers and gather your options.
-
You're covered.
Choose your option and receive your policy documents.
Why Choose Insurance Time
Protect yourself with cover arranged by a licensed Australian broker who explains it in plain English.
Professional
Our team are experienced in orchard insurance and licensed to advise on it.
Experienced
Ten years advising Australian families and businesses, with Steadfast network access.
Renewal management
Our team will manage your renewals and keep you informed and up to date.
24/7 claims
Notify us of a claim 24/7, 365 days a year.
Cover Options
We can arrange different levels of cover for you and your business.
Motor vehicles and fleets
Third party to comprehensive motor and fleet cover.
Public liability
Protection for third party property damage or personal injury.
Business package
Customised cover for your business assets and liabilities.
Personal insurance
Protection for you and your family.
Property
Protection for your personal and business premises and contents.
Workers compensation
Cover questions for your employees and workers.
Get A Quote. It's Complimentary.
It's time to review your orchard insurance.
General information only. Any cover depends on the PDS, TMD, eligibility, underwriting, and policy terms. We use your details to respond to this enquiry.