We're in it together

Farm Insurance

Whether you’re an arable, livestock or dairy farmer, we know every farm business is different. That’s why each of our insurance policies is tailored to the needs of you and your farm, giving you complete peace of mind.
Our experience of farm insurance across the South West is unrivalled. We understand the challenges you face, and our sole focus is working to protect you and your business. 

Our farm insurance provides:

  • Cover for damage to farm buildings, machinery, produce, supplies and livestock to give you the protection you need
  • £10m Public and Products Liability to protect you if your farm business is found to be at fault for injury suffered to a member of the public, or damage to their property
  • £10m Employers Liability to protect you if you are found to be at fault for an injury suffered by an employee
  • £2m Environmental Damage to protect your farm business from any legal liabilities if you are unfortunate enough to experience a pollution incident
  • £250,000 Legal Expenses for legal disputes affecting your business
  • Buildings sum insured indexed linked at each renewal date to allow for rebuilding cost inflation
  • The option to protect against loss of business income following an insured event causing interruption to the farming business
  • The option to insure specified livestock diseases
  • The option to include Group Personal Accident (GPA), designed to protect your business against the financial impact of sickness or disability following an accident to you or an insured individual employed by the business
  • Farm Mutual Policy Benefit - £100,000 paid to the insured or nominated family member should they suffer death or permanent disablement arising from an accident while working on the farm

As a mutual organisation, we’re owned by our Members, not shareholders. So, when you speak with one of our advisors, you’re not dealing with a commission-driven salesperson. You’re talking to a local specialist always ready with hands-on advice, assistance and answers you need, whenever you call on them.  

We’d love to talk to you, so for further information or to arrange a quote on our farm insurance please give us or your local advisor a call. Want us to phone you? Simply click on the link and we will call you at a time that works best for you. We are always happy to help.  

Frequently asked questions

What makes you different from other insurers?

We live and work across the South West and are actively involved in the farming community.  Whether it’s local agricultural events, charities, young farmers or our boots on the ground, the Field Force team visiting our Members, we strive to gain a better understanding of our Members and potential sector challenges.

Working in your local area makes us easily accessible and better placed to provide an excellent service compared to other remote insurance companies.  Our Members are at the heart of everything we do and we strive to ensure they always know where they stand with us.

The milk company I supply are asking me to check that my Farmers Liability Policy insures me against antibiotics accidentally getting into my milk and contaminating the tanker load. Am I covered?

Yes if you have Public Liability cover under your Farm Insurance Policy and your negligence leads to the contamination. If you would like cover for the loss of your own milk this has to be arranged separately. Please call our Members Services Team to find out more.

Is the straying/transit section of the Farm Insurance Policy concerned with public liability or the loss of the animals?

The straying/transit section of the Farm Insurance Policy is concerned with the loss of animals. Liability caused by animals is covered under the Public Liability section

Is Cornish Mutual a broker or an agent?

Cornish Mutual is an independent Mutual Insurance Company. We are not a broker or an agent and underwrite our own insurance policies, therefore we provide a direct insurance service to our Members.

How do I make a Legal Expense Claim?

Your Legal Expenses cover is provided by ARAG.  You can make a claim between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays) by calling 01872 270159 or you can download a claim form at www.arag.co.uk/newclaims

Who do I call for Legal and Tax advice?

You can call ARAG 24/7 on 01872 270174.

Am I covered for Third Party damage if my farm animals strayed onto the road?

Yes under our Farm Policy the public liability section covers your legal liability for third party property damage and Third Party injury.

Do you offer a counselling helpline?

Your Legal Expenses cover is provided by ARAG and includes a free confidential Counselling Service, should you need help and advice. You can contact them on 01872 270154. Please advise them that your policy is with Cornish Mutual.

Does my policy cover storm damage?

In many cases, storm damage to buildings is covered under Cornish Mutual property policies, but it’s important to confirm what your cover includes. Policies generally won’t cover damage caused by wear and tear, even if it becomes noticeable after a storm. For Members with farm policies, storm cover must be added.

Are fences, gates and hedges covered in a storm?

This depends on your policy type.

  • Home insurance: may cover fences only if the main building or outbuildings are also damaged.
  • Farm / Let Property: fences, gates and hedges are typically excluded. 

If you’re unsure, we’ll talk you through it.

If a tree falls and damages my building, is that covered?

If a tree falls and damages your building during a storm, your policy will cover the resulting damage if your policy provides cover for storm. 

Do you pay for tree removal after a storm?

Cornish Mutual covers the cost of removing a tree to allow repairs to a damaged building if you have storm damage cover. However, if you do not have storm cover or if a tree has simply fallen without causing damage, it is not covered.

A tree fell into my garden but didn’t hit anything, can you help?

Unfortunately not. If there is no damage to insured buildings, Cornish Mutual does not cover the cost of removal. 

My neighbour’s tree damaged my property, whose insurance covers it?

If your policy covers your buildings for storm, your Cornish Mutual policy will deal with repairs to your buildings. 

My tree has damaged my neighbour’s property, do I need to claim?

In most cases, no. Your neighbour should claim through their own insurer, because owning a tree doesn’t automatically mean you are at fault. 

For a third party to claim against you, it typically needs to be proved the damage was caused due to your negligence (fault). 

How do I make a claim?

If you need to make a claim, contact us as soon as possible. Follow these simple steps to help your claim progress smoothly:

  • Collect important information:

Try to have the relevant details to hand, including what happened (the circumstances), a description of the damage or loss and details of any third parties involved. Doing this as soon as possible helps while events are still fresh in your mind.

  • Support your claim with evidence:

You may be asked to provide proof of ownership or evidence to support your claim, such as original purchase receipts, photographs, bank statements, instruction booklets.

  • Photograph damage and keep anything relevant:

Where possible, don’t complete repairs before reporting your claim. Make sure you take clear photos of the damage, keep estimates and invoices, and any broken parts as they may help support your claim.

  • Share any reference numbers:

If emergency services have attended (such as police or fire), share all incident or crime reference numbers with the Claims Technician handling your claim.

If you’re unsure what to do at any stage, we’ll guide you through the process and let you know what information we need.

Why is it important to report a claim as soon as possible?

Delays can affect your claim and, in some cases, leave you uncovered. Reporting a claim promptly is important because:

  • We can appoint the right impartial expert quickly, such as a loss adjuster for property claims or a motor engineer for vehicle claims. They can assess the cause and extent of the loss, confirm what cover applies, and help reach a fair settlement where needed.
  • It reduces the risk of further damage, for example from a faulty or burst water pipe. In some cases, we may be able to involve restoration experts to help minimise damage early on.
  • Evidence can be lost over time, such as CCTV footage being overwritten or witness details becoming harder to obtain.
  • We can guide you on next steps, such as gathering estimates or the right supporting evidence. For lost or stolen items this could include proof of purchase, such as a receipt or bank statement.
Will storm claims involve a loss adjuster?

If the damage is significant and covered, we may appoint a loss adjuster to assess the damage and support you through the process. 

Cyber Assistance Helpline
Do you have any cyber-related questions or need advice on how to protect yourself or your family from cyber incidents?

The Cornish Mutual Cyber Assistance Helpline provided through the cyber protection specialists at Cyberscout, a TransUnion brand, is here to help.

Call 0808 189 2300

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Latest News

22 Jan

Preparing for extreme weather

Storm Goretti was a timely reminder we are seeing more extreme weather these days – even in the South West where we’ve often been protected from the worst conditions. Here at Cornish Mutual, we received the equivalent of two weeks’ worth of claims calls in just two days, with most coming from the worst-affected areas of West Cornwall. And we know it won’t be the last so we urge everyone to be prepared. Here’s our advice for reducing your risk of damage, what to do if you are making a claim and answers to some of your most common questions.
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Upcoming Events

Wednesday 11th February

Making the most of your muck

11:00 till 2:00pm | Duchy College Rosewarne

Thursday 12th February

How technology can boost farm performance

11:00am till 2:00pm | Duchy College Rosewarne