Compulsory insurance for farmers: How to protect your income!

Compulsory insurance for farmers: How to protect your income!

From January 1, 2027, it will be mandatory for agricultural businesses in Switzerland that working spouses or life partners are sufficiently insured to receive full direct payments. This regulation, which is intended to improve social security in the event of illness, accident or death, affects partners who work regularly and significantly on the farm and earn little or no income of their own. If there is no proof of insurance, there is a risk of reductions in direct payments, which can amount to up to several thousand francs per year anzeigervonsaanen.ch reported.

The farmers' associations recommend finding out about this new regulation at an early stage and, if necessary, considering higher insurance sums. Insurance coverage must be proven for those partners by business managers, which could entail additional administrative tasks.

Goals and framework conditions

A central goal of this regulation is to improve risk prevention in agriculture. Anne Challandes, President of the Swiss Farmers' and Rural Women's Association, is positive about the new regulation, while David Perreten, President of the Saanenland Agricultural Association, notes that the majority of farms already have the necessary insurance cover.

The compulsory insurance coverage ensures a daily allowance of 100 francs, which is considered the minimum necessary coverage. The Agrisano Foundation offers appropriate insurance solutions for farming families, with premiums ranging between 600 and 1,500 francs per year. If the necessary insurance coverage is missing, the direct payments will be reduced by 10%, which can lead to further financial losses in the event of a repeat incident.

Exceptions and Conditions

In order for partners to be insured, several conditions must be met: The person in question must be married or in a registered partnership, be under 65 years old, work regularly on the farm and earn little or no income of their own. However, there are exceptions to the insurance requirement, including poor health of the partners and financial difficulties of the business manager couple.

Around 148,000 workers are currently employed in agriculture, of which 54,732 are women, which corresponds to a share of 37%. This new regulation could also make a significant contribution to strengthening social security in one of the oldest professions in the world. For more information on direct payments, additional details are available in the document Thuringian state government to read.