Study finds ways to protect irrigators

Farmers shared their advice on how to protect irrigators in wild weather for the new guide.

A joint study by rural insurer FMG and Lincoln University has suggested three key steps farmers and growers can take to help prevent storm damage such as the kind that left a $7.6 million bill for repairs and replacement of irrigators in Canterbury last year.

The research was prompted by the September 2013 Canterbury wind storms, which resulted in more than 260 claims.

More than 100 irrigator owners subsequently shared preventative measures they took to protect their machines, resulting in an Irrigator Advice Guide, with the message point, park and anchor, now available free at fmg.co.nz.

"I think irrigator owners will find the guide very useful. To our knowledge there's not another one like it," said FMG general manager advice and insurance Conrad Wilkshire.

"It's got sound, practical advice on what people can do in the days and hours leading up to a storm, as well as measures they can take all year round to help keep their irrigator upright.

"To be involved with a guide which will help prevent irrigator storm damage is hugely rewarding and can only be a good thing for the industry and for rural New Zealand."

FMG's research with Lincoln University highlighted the effectiveness of three steps:

-Point the irrigator downward into the prevailing wind.

-Create a parking space for the irrigator " if possible away from any other objects.

-Along the parking space install anchor points to tie the irrigator down.

The advice guide is for owners to take from it what they feel will work best for them. It's not a "how to" manual - and FMG sees the guide as a starting point for any other wider research efforts.

FMG paid out more irrigator claims than any other insurer following the storms with more than 260 claims lodged, at a cost of $7.6 million.

FMG's response to the storm claims resulted in client satisfaction in the region reaching its highest levels ever.

"While it's incredibly pleasing to see that we're meeting clients' expectations, we won't be resting on it. We, too, have taken lessons from these storms and as a result have changed and enhanced our insurance offering to include nominated replacement cover as well as present day value and clients should call and talk to us about these.

"We also now have much closer ties within the irrigation industry, including suppliers.

"When you combine these two significant steps with our risk-advice offering, it's easy to see that FMG is committed to giving rural New Zealand a better deal and is firmly placed to support clients and the industry when the next storms hit - and they will come again as we've seen in Canterbury in the last several days," Mr Wilkshire said.

FMG thanked farmers and growers who contributed to the guide, Lincoln University for its research expertise, IrrigationNZ which provided invaluable support to FMG soon after the 2013 storms, and also to manufactures and suppliers who played a key role in helping clients get back up and running.