Roundtable Discussion on Agricultural Insurance

More than 40 high-level representatives of ministries of agriculture, insurance supervisory authorities and insurance industries of Western Balkan countries and Turkey discussed on April 10, 2014 the present position and future challenges of agricultural insurance business. The round table was organized by the Insurance Supervision Agency of Slovenia and the Center of Excellence in Finance and held in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Agriculture is a risky business. By providing claim payments in the worst years, agricultural insurance could complement mitigation and coping mechanisms, and provide a foundation for production-boosting investments in agricultural business.

Participants heard presentations about the systems of agriculture insurance business in Austria, Munich Re, Swiss Re and Agricultural Insurance Pool Management Company. The representative of the newly established Europa Re presented the purpose of its establishment and their future goals. The round table participants also heard a presentation about the Slovenian system of agriculture insurance business, its shortcomings and possible improvements, presented by representatives of all involved stakeholders: the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Slovenian Environment Agency, Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia and a Slovene insurance company.

The round table discussion concluded the gathering with a common agreement that sustainable agricultural insurance programs are based on a strong partnership between the public and private sectors

Presentations:

• Agricultural Insurance in Austria and worldwide overview, Dr. Kurt Winberger, CEO of Austrian Hail Insurance Company and President of the International Association of Agricultural Production Insurers
• Why SystemAgro is required for sustainable crop insurance?, Ms. Brigitte Engelhard, Munich Re
• Experiences by Europa Re in agricultural insurance business, Ms. Marijana Lemić-Saramandić
• The prerequisites for a sustainable agricultural insurance scheme, Mr. Nicholas Boll, Swiss Re
• Agricultural insurance in Slovenia, Ms. Tadeja Kvas-Majer, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Slovenia
• Application of meteorological data for risk assessment in agriculture – present status and climate trends, Mr. Gregor Gregorič, Slovenian Environment Agency
• Agricultural insurance, experiences by Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia, Mr. Branko Ravnik
• Agricultural insurance, experiences by Triglav Insurance Company, Mr. Aleš Zupan
• Agricultural insurance, experiences by Agricultural Insurance Pool Management Company, Mr. Necati İçer

.