The first type of crop insurance written in the United States, it typically covers the single peril of hail. The perils of fire and wind can also be included in this coverage but only for some crops and some locales. Private crop-hail insurance is usually purchased for high-yielding crops in areas of the country susceptible to hail. Unlike federal crop insurance, private insurers offer and underwrite this policy. It is sold by licensed insurance agents, and the premiums depend, for a large part, on past loss experience. One advantage of private crop-hail coverage (over hail coverage available through federal crop insurance) is the ability to get spot coverage (coverage on an acre-by-acre basis).
Definition provided by the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) Glossary of Insurance.
