Prairie farmers collected more money from hail claims in 2011 than they did last year.
The Canadian Crop Hail Association released estimates Oct. 28 of the claims and payouts from the just completed growing season.
The association said 15,000 claims led to payments of nearly $164 million by its member companies.
That compared to payments of $155 million on more than 16,000 claims last year.
Chair Murray Bantle, who is with the Co-operative Hail Insurance Company in Regina, said association members would consider the year reasonable.
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The companies collected $268 million in premiums, resulting in an industry-wide loss ratio of just more than 61 percent.
“It’s probably a money-making year for the industry, but not a great one,” he said.
Saskatchewan farmers suffered through the most hailstorms and resulting damage, filing 11,800 claims worth nearly $121 million. Premiums were $168 million, for a loss ratio of 72 percent.
Several storms led to the most claims and costs: July 12 in west-central areas, July 26 from the southwest near Kincaid to the northeast near Norquay, again in the southwest July 29 and on Aug. 15 in a band from Flaxcombe on the west side to northeast of Prince Albert.
Manitoba saw lighter than usual hail damage and activity in 2011. Farmers filed 1,100 claims worth $6.9 million. Premiums paid were $31 million for a loss ratio of 22 percent.
A July long weekend storm was the most significant and accounted for a quarter of the claims in an area southeast of Carmen to Morris and south to the U.S. border.
In Alberta, payouts worth $36 million were made on about 2,500 claims. The payments are made on claims over and above what farmers receive through crop insurance.
Alberta farmers paid premiums worth $68 million for a loss ratio of 53 percent.
The largest storms were July 7 from Sundre to Red Deer and July 18 from Millet to the Saskatchewan border and beyond.
Bantle said the coverage purchased by producers has gone up as crop prices rise. As well, payments per claim rise as farms grow larger.
The past few years have seen extremes in hail payouts.
A record high $341 million was paid in 2008, but the following year saw the lowest amount in recent memory at $76 million.
