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Retrospective of the agricultural year 2021 for Agra Asigurări

Bucharest, 21.10.2021: 2021 was dynamic for Agra Asigurări, the only company in Romania dedicated exclusively to agricultural insurances. Compared to 2020, the number of damage notices has doubled, while the number of insurance policies issued has increased by about 20-30%. Nationally, the company has insured 900,000 ha through a portfolio of 4 products, namely Agrar Basis, Agrar Basis for vines, Universal Sugar Beet and Drought Index, and the company expectations for 2022 are to insure 1,000,000 ha.

The number of insurance policies issued by Agra Asigurari in 2021 doubled compared to 2020. 40% of these damages were for the risk of hail, the difference is represented by the other risks, such as storm and frost, but also for the risks in the reseeding package. 90 more claims have been recorded for the Drought Index Supplement. The corn and sunflower crops have been damaged by heatwave days, as well by the precipitation deficit at the end of the growing vegetation season.

The years' challenge was the multiple damages of cereal crops such as wheat and rice cultures, caused by the heavy storms at the end of May. These crops have been planted in different stages of vegetation which led to crop destruction and production loss. As in previous years, the storms also affected hybrid sunflower crops and seed lots, easily destroyed by strong winds and even hail in some geographical regions.

Top of the most affected counties in Romania

The unpredictable effects of climate changes were felt throughout the entire country, but the regions in southeastern Romania faced the most damage in the agricultural year 2021.

The most affected counties according to Agra Asigurări’s portfolio were Dolj and Constanța, followed by Giurgiu and Ialomița. A compelling number of damages were also reported in Galati and Tulcea counties, where both autumn and spring crops were affected.

June-August, the hardest period for Romanian farmers

„According to the data from our portfolio, the summer season was a very difficult one for the Romanian farmers. In June, we registered the majority of damage notices, both for elementary risks and for hail, followed by July and August. At the Drought Index, we recorded long periods of heat and drought at the end of the vegetation stage. The corn crop was the most affected, with a damage of 264%”, said Iulia Parapianu, Deputy Director of Agra Asigurări Romania.

Dolj is the county with the highest damage rate as there was the most substantial damage claimed. The affected area was about 1,200 hectares out of 3,000 hectares insured in total. Here, a hail cell destroyed 100% of multiple types of crops such as barley, rapeseed, and winter wheat.

For another farmer, the hail affected two-thirds of his insured area. About 60% of the chickpea culture was affected, whereas the sunflower suffered total damage.

In terms of intensity, Dolj is followed by Constanța, where this year's damage was earlier. There has been frost damage since February, but also multiple storms in the spring months.

At the moment, 98% of the claims have been completed, and Agra Asigurari evaluators have already started assessing the damage for the agricultural year 2021-2022, caused by the risk of the drought phase of the rapeseed emergence.

„We intend to ensure 1,000,000 ha in the next agricultural season, continuing our mission of being in close partnership with the Romanian farmers, through digitalized services and support in the heyday of agricultural activity. Climate change is affecting the agricultural sector at a national level, and the last year has been a revealing one in this regard. From massive drought to heavy rains with hail, Romanian farmers have faced increasingly unpredictable climatic phenomena, which have left a deep mark on their work and implicitly the essential crops that provide food and stability to the agro sector. We want to create together with farmers products suitable for their constantly evolving needs and help them make the best decisions for both business and environmental protection”, stated Horia-Adrian Lupu, General Director of Agra Asigurări Romania.

Considering the dynamic activity of the company, Agra Asigurări expands its team of evaluators. At the Indagra fair, farmers, agronomists, and young agricultural graduates interested in this role can find out more information directly from its representatives.

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About Agra Asigurări

The insurance company Österreichische Hagelversicherung was founded in 1947 in Austria at the farmers' initiative by Austrian insurance companies. Due to its exclusive experience in the agricultural field, Agra Asigurări is one of the few European insurance companies that insure drought since 2000.

Since the opening of the local branch in Romania in 2016, drought risk insurance is now available for Romanian farmers, along with standard coverings for hail, fire, storm, torrential rain, and frost.