Farmers must prepare for warmer summers – warns insurer NFU Mutual

By Philip Bradfield
Published 13th Nov 2023, 17:48 BST
Updated 13th Nov 2023, 17:48 BST
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Farmers in Northern Ireland must prepare for hotter summers - even though the number of farm fires fell last year, a leading rural insurance company has warned.

The number of farm fires fell by 12% in Northern Ireland in 2022, totalling £4.2m, despite high temperatures, leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has reported.

It goes against the UK trend, which saw NFU Mutual deal with over 2,200 farm fire claims involving growing crops, buildings and farm equipment in 2022 compared to over 1,800 in 2021.

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Across the UK dry conditions saw a large number of fires, causing damage to crops and buildings but also putting animals and lives in dange

Fires in combine harvesters across the UK have doubled over the past year, the NFU has warned. Photo: SWNSFires in combine harvesters across the UK have doubled over the past year, the NFU has warned. Photo: SWNS
Fires in combine harvesters across the UK have doubled over the past year, the NFU has warned. Photo: SWNS

With the weather set to become more extreme in the future with drier and hotter summers on the horizon, NFU Mutual is urging farmers to prepare a comprehensive farm fire prevention plan and to fit fire suppressors to combine harvesters - in which fires have doubled.

Martin Malone, NFU Mutual Manager for Northern Ireland, said: “The fall in the number of farm fires in 2022 compared to 2021 is welcome, but it is important that farmers are not complacent and remain prepared for future hot summers.

“Farm fires put lives at risk as well as causing disruptive and devastating damage to rural businesses, so it is essential farmers have fire plans in place.

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“Last summer was a particularly wet one across Northern Ireland despite this we still experienced hundreds of combines, tractors and baler fires and this really impacts the productivity within the farm business, in addition delays within the supply chain often lead to difficulties in obtaining replacement vehicles and equipment.”

See: www.nfumutual.co.uk/globalassets/business/rms/documents/risk-management-programme-for-prevention-of-fires-on-farms.pdf

Related topics:Northern Ireland