Agra Asigurari, the national leader in agricultural insurance, is launching the new sales season for the 2025-2026 farming year. The announcement comes at a challenging time for Romanian farmers, marked by the intensification of extreme weather events, which are affecting crops earlier and earlier, causing considerable losses for farmers.

In April this year, the company recorded 693 damage claims, a significant increase compared to the 300 cases reported in the same period last year. The late spring frost severely affected autumn crops in Dobrogea, as well as vineyards in Constanta and Prahova counties.

In May, Agra Asigurari recorded 1,493 damage claims, due to hailstorms that affected large areas of crops in Mehedinti and Dolj counties. In July, the same phenomenon caused significant damage to both field crops and orchards in the western and central regions of the country, as well as in the counties of Neamt, Botosani, and Iasi. Added to this were the effects of an extreme, unprecedented storm that hit agricultural areas in the counties of Ilfov and Ialomita.

“In this context, Agra Asigurari is introducing a series of updates and coverage extensions designed to respond to increasingly varied climate challenges and the ever-growing needs of farmers,” states Horia Adrian-Lupu, General Manager of Agra Asigurari. 

This season, the company is placing particular emphasis on expanding the reseeding package for spring crops. In addition to the risks already covered, such as soil crusting, soil washing, wind, and frost-induced sand or soil particle entrainment, the package now also includes damage caused by specific pests. This update is particularly relevant in the current context, where protection options for farmers have been significantly reduced as a result of the ban on the use of neonicotinoids.

Coverage was also introduced for the risk generated by prolonged torrential rains that lead to soil waterlogging, a phenomenon with a significant impact on autumn and spring crops. In addition, the coverage offered by the Agrar Basis product has been extended to include damage caused by hailstorsms in the early stages of crop development, a stage known for the increased vulnerability of plants to extreme weather events.

At the same time, Agra Asigurari is considering introducing late spring frost as an insured risk for apple orchards, an essential measure for protecting orchards given the increasingly unpredictable nature of the climate. An insurance product dedicated to field-grown vegetables is also in the works, to support horticultural producers who are facing increasing losses due to weather instability.

With over 1.7 million hectares insured, 7,200 policies underwritten, and over 4,250 claims settled last season alone, Agra Asigurari continues to consolidate its position as a trusted partner for Romanian farmers. The total insured area increased by 11.2% in 2024 compared to 2023 and by 14.6% in 2025 compared to 2024, highlighting the company’s consistent portfolio expansion.

“A key strength of the company remains the speed of claims processing and payment, with over 80 percent of settlements completed within approximately 10 days of the protocol being issued,” says Horia-Adrian Lupu.

All these updates were discussed and presented at the Agra Asigurari Conference, held on July 29-30, 2025, in Poiana Brasov. The event brought together over 80 brokers specializing in agricultural insurance from across the country, partners who have been working with the company since it entered the Romanian market in 2016.

“This event reflects Agra Asigurari’s commitment to our distribution partners, who play an essential role in supporting farmers and agriculture in Romania. We aim to strengthen this collaboration and provide an open framework for dialogue, transparency, and joint development. In an increasingly dynamic agricultural sector, we are aligning our efforts around a clear objective: expanding farmers’ access, at the national level, to protection solutions adapted to climatic and economic realities. Through this approach, we contribute to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector, the stability of supply chains, and, implicitly, food security,” emphasizes Horia-Adrian Lupu, General Manager of Agra Asigurari.

During the conference, the results and challenges of the previous season were analyzed, operational and product news for the 2025-2026 agricultural year were presented, and discussions focused on establishing directions for collaboration to optimize processes and strengthen relationships with farmers.         

Source - https://business-review.eu