Comprehensive guide to sheep insurance in NZ — commercial mob cover, stud ram policies, post-shearing exposure, and natural disaster protection.
Sheep Insurance in New Zealand
With approximately 5 million sheep in NZ, sheep farming is one of the country's most important agricultural sectors. Yet sheep are often underinsured — many farmers assume sheep insurance is too expensive relative to animal values, or that standard farm policies cover everything.
Commercial Mob Cover
For commercial sheep flocks, blanket mortality cover is the most common approach. This sets a value per head for the entire mob and provides a payout when animals die from covered causes.
Typical covered causes for sheep:
Pricing: Commercial blanket cover for sheep typically runs $0.60–$1.20 per $100 of insured value annually.
Post-Shearing Exposure: A Uniquely NZ Risk
Post-shearing exposure is a risk unique to NZ conditions. Freshly shorn sheep lose their protective wool coat and are extremely vulnerable to cold, wet, and windy weather in the days following shearing.
A sudden weather change after shearing can kill dozens of sheep within hours. FMG's farm pack policies can include post-shearing exposure cover as an explicit add-on.
Key facts about post-shearing exposure cover:
Stud Ram Insurance
Stud rams can be worth $500–$50,000+ depending on genetics and breed. These require:
Natural Disaster Cover for Sheep Farmers
Sheep are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather — cyclones, floods, and late snowstorms can cause significant mob losses quickly. Hawke's Bay and Gisborne farmers who lost thousands of sheep in Cyclone Gabrielle often found their cover inadequate.
Natural disaster cover for sheep should include:
Working with FMG for Sheep Insurance
FMG dominates the NZ sheep insurance market. Their farm pack policies are specifically designed for local conditions, including post-shearing exposure and natural disaster cover. However, comparison with Aon and Gallagher is worthwhile, especially for farmers with high-value stud animals.
