Agriculture
Rural ramps up underwriting team with ex-Aviva hire
Former Aviva commercial underwriter Simon Dixon has joined Rural Insurance's underwriting team as the first of four development underwriters the firm plans to recruit this year.
Aspen Re enhances risk management in China
Aspen Reinsurance has licensed Air Worldwide's multiple peril crop insurance model for China to enhance its risk management capabilities in catastrophe-exposed agricultural regions of the country.
Automated weather stations bring low-cost insurance to Rwanda's farmers
As Rwandan farmers face increasingly erratic rainfall, Swiss Re has helped with the launch of an innovative programme that uses automated weather stations to provide low-cost insurance to protect farmers' loans for high-yielding seeds, fertilisers and…
Report finds opportunities for commercially viable rural livestock cover
Technological improvements and growing demand offer hope for "commercially viable and welfare-enhancing livestock insurance", despite early failures, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation and the Munich Re Foundation.
Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool makes first payment to farmers
One hundred and thirty six farmers in the northern region of Ghana have become the first beneficiaries of payments from the drought index insurance product under the Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool.
Major events in the Russian insurance market in Q3 2012
Highlights for the Russian insurance market for Q3 include another failed auction attempt for Yugoria, insurance company results and a look at the top insurers for client complaints. Paul Koshik reports.
Q&A with Lloyd's' Enrico Bertagna
Lloyd's Italy country manager Enrico Bertagna discusses the impact of recession, the country's growth sectors, and why he believes natural catastrophe provision in Italy needs a major overhaul.
Casualty insurers warned about recent legal deveopments
A ruling on pesticide manufacturers' liability, reforms to Spanish law on directors' and officers' cover and more stringent rules for Polish motor insurers, are among recent legislative changes with implications for European casualty insurers.
Reinsurance CORs fall "dramatically" in H1
Global reinsurers' operating performances improved significantly in the first half of 2012, according to Fitch's latest report.
Top five European news stories
The top five European stories from www.insuranceinsight.com over the past seven days.
Italy's drought crop damage close to $1bn
Italian farmers have suffered nearly €1bn ($1.23bn) in crop damage from drought, according to farm industry organisation Confagricoltura.
View from the Top: Beyond the bottom line
When the MDS team first heard about Swiss Re's planned involvement in a new food security initiative a few months ago, we were struck by the sense of responsibility and stewardship that the company's move represented.
TIP boosts HNW and agricultural team
The Insurance Partnership has strengthened its agricultural and private client teams with new appointments at offices in Hull and York.
Legal Update: Migrant Workers - Claims farming
The harvest season in the UK inevitably means a rise in migrant workers in the agricultural sector. The need to navigate questions of ethics, potential conflicts of interest and policy breaches means insurers must scrutinise related claims carefully
Novae Re exodus to damage reinsurance book
The resignations of the chief executive of Novae Re’s Zurich operation Gunter Saacke, chief underwriting officer Will Schuerch and 10 underwriters have sparked concerns that the insurer cannot retain business written by certain divisions.
Rural Insurance expands equine offering
Specialist agricultural insurer Rural Insurance has broadened its range of cover in the equine market in response to broker demand.
China publishes draft proposals on agricultural insurance
China has issued draft proposals for regulating agricultural insurance to solicit public opinion on the measures designed to promote the sound development of the farming sector, according to a circular published by the Legislative Affairs Office of the…
Chinese VP calls for growth in health and liability insurance
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan has called for reform and innovation in the Chinese insurance industry to help development.
Spotlight on environment: Extreme measures
Extreme weather events can have enormous economic costs, with huge uncertainty surrounding them. So how can this uncertainty be communicated in a meaningful way to decision makers?
Growth in green energy prompts Rural to enter market
Specialist agricultural insurer Rural, part of UKGI, is the latest business to launch a suite of green insurance products to meet the growing demand for cover from farmers investing in renewable energy schemes.
JLT expands in Ireland with FBD purchase
JLT Insurance Brokers (Ireland) has expanded its presence in the country with the acquisition of FBD Insurance Brokers.
Post Intelligence Benchmarking - Loss adjuster insight: Hitting the bullseye?
Insurance 360 takes another look at the performance of loss adjusting firms to reveal who is performing well and who needs to raise their game.
BSIA calls on insurers for support in fight against theft
The British Security Industry Association is calling on insurers to back the fight against rising levels of heavy machinery theft, following two recent incidents in Kent where criminals used mini diggers to rip out ATM machines.
Rural launches first equine delegated authority scheme
Rural Insurance, the agricultural arm of UK General Insurance Group, has launched equine insurance solutions.