Skip to content

Home / Insurance broker / Business

Livestock insurance in Germany: when an outbreak shuts the farm

If a notifiable disease hits a German farm, the state animal disease fund (Tierseuchenkasse) pays for animals the authorities order to be killed, up to fixed limits per head. It does not pay for the months of lost income that follow. That gap is what livestock business interruption cover is for, alongside mortality cover for losses from illness and accidents.

The question almost everyone asks first

Isn't the Tierseuchenkasse enough?

It covers the value of culled animals, not the farm business. Under section 16 of the Animal Health Act (Tiergesundheitsgesetz) it pays the common value of each animal, capped at 4,000 € per head of cattle, 1,500 € per pig and 6,000 € per horse. It does not cover lost margin during a standstill, extra feed and housing costs, or lost sales when your own herd is healthy but sits inside a restriction zone.

How the German animal disease funds work

Every federal state runs a Tierseuchenkasse. Keepers of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses and poultry register their animals and pay an annual levy, depending on state law. When the veterinary office orders a cull because of a notifiable disease, the fund pays the animals' common value up to the legal caps, and the state itself carries half of that compensation where levies are charged.

The payment depends on your paperwork. If the herd was not registered, was under-reported or the levy was unpaid, compensation can be lost. The count normally uses the stock on 1 January. Bavaria assumes 120 percent of the previous year's numbers if you do not report, and North Rhine-Westphalia can add a late surcharge after a reminder.

The real loss is the empty barn

After a cull the barn stays empty until cleaning, disinfection and official clearance are complete. If your farm is only inside a restriction zone, animals cannot be sold, grow past their target weight and keep eating. Piglets have nowhere to go. These losses often exceed the value of the animals themselves.

Livestock business interruption cover replaces the lost contribution margin and extra costs after a notifiable outbreak, minus the agreed deductible. Better policies also pay indirect losses, where your herd is healthy but you are banned from selling because of a restriction zone. Most policies only respond to an official measure; a plain fall in market prices is not insured.

African swine fever, bluetongue, foot and mouth

Whether a disease is covered depends on the list in the policy. Basic wordings name a selection; stronger ones include every notifiable disease and add new ones automatically. Bluetongue in 2024 showed why: farmers received no state compensation for animals lost to it, so only private cover paid.

After foot and mouth disease reappeared in Germany in January 2025, insurers paused new business for a while. That is the rule in this line: cover is only available while the disease is not yet at the gate. Waiting until there are cases in your district usually means no insurer, or a waiting period that runs straight through the risky weeks.

What is covered

  • Lost contribution margin after a notifiable disease in your own herd
  • Lost income inside a restriction zone while your herd is healthy, if included
  • Extra feed, housing and prolonged fattening costs during a standstill
  • Lower sale prices caused by marketing bans and overweight animals
  • Death or emergency slaughter from illness or accident (mortality cover)
  • Suffocation after power or ventilation failure, if included
  • Extra perils such as salmonella or feather pecking, depending on species and policy

What is not covered

  • Animal values already paid by the Tierseuchenkasse
  • A fall in market prices without any official measure
  • Diseases not named in the policy
  • Losses during the waiting period after cover starts
  • Emergency slaughter without the insurer's consent

Who needs it

  • Pig farms with sows, nursery or finishing units, because of African swine fever
  • Dairy and beef farms whose income comes mainly from the herd
  • Poultry farms with mechanical ventilation and dense stocking
  • Sheep and goat keepers worried about bluetongue losses
  • Farms with bank loans that cannot survive half a year without sales

Who does not need it

  • Hobby keepers with a few animals and no meaningful farm income

Wheel of misfortune

Spin the wheel of bad luck

Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.

See all six cases
  1. ASF nearby, farm in restriction zone, often five or six figures. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Your pigs are healthy but cannot be sold. Only a policy with indirect losses pays.
  2. Authorities order the herd culled, animal value plus months without income. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. The Tierseuchenkasse pays animal values up to its caps. The lost income afterwards is the insurer's part.
  3. Bluetongue kills several cows, thousands of euros per animal. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. There was no state compensation in 2024. Only farms with disease or mortality cover were paid.
  4. Ventilation fails overnight, an entire batch. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Covered if technology failure is included and conditions such as an alarm were met. Otherwise cover can fall away.
  5. Cover bought after the outbreak, the whole loss. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Nothing that happens before cover starts or during the waiting period is paid. Disease cover must be in place first.
  6. Cow dies after calving, value of the cow. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. A mortality claim, not a matter for the disease fund or business interruption cover.

What it costs

Premiums depend on species, herd size, production type and the insured margin. German farm press quoted roughly 10 to 13 € per sow per year for the disease and accident modules together, varying by insurer, piglet output and animal values. For cattle and poultry, the deductible and indemnity period move the price most.

What drives the premium

  • Species and production type, such as breeding or finishing
  • Herd size and insured margin per animal or place
  • Indemnity period of 12, 18 or 24 months
  • Size of the deductible
  • Scope of the disease list and whether indirect losses are included
  • Region and disease situation when you apply

We do not quote sample premiums because acceptance changes with the disease situation and insurers reprice quickly. Your premium is set in the quote we obtain with your herd details.

The policy levels on the market

01

Disease module

Business interruption after an official order affecting your own herd, with a list of the main diseases and 12 months' indemnity. The starting point on a tight budget.

02

Disease plus restriction zone

Adds indirect losses inside restriction or surveillance zones and all notifiable diseases. The right level for pig and poultry farms in livestock-dense regions.

03

Full cover with mortality

Disease, restriction zones, a longer indemnity period, plus mortality from illness and accident and failure of barn technology. For farms that live almost entirely on their animals.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Disease list selected diseases such as ASF, FMD, avian flu all notifiable diseases, new ones added automatically Bluetongue proved the next outbreak may not be the one you expected.
Indirect losses not covered restriction and surveillance zones included Most farms are hit through a zone around someone else's outbreak, not in their own barn.
Indemnity period 12 months 18 to 24 months Restocking, health status and sales after a cull often take longer than a year.
Deductible fixed by the insurer selectable to match the farm's reserves A higher deductible lowers the premium, but you must be able to carry it.
Waiting period three months as short as possible and agreed before signing Buying cover when a disease approaches lands you in the waiting period.
Extra costs lost margin only feed, housing, transport and disposal included Under a marketing ban costs keep running while the animals keep growing.

Insurers on the German market

Only a few insurers write livestock cover in Germany, most of them mutuals with farming roots. After outbreaks some stop taking new business for a time. This is a view of the market, not a list of our partners.

InsurerBackground
Vereinigte Tierversicherung (VTV)livestock specialist of the R+V group
R+Vfarm package with livestock and business interruption modules, sold through cooperative banks
LVMmutual insurer founded by farmers, disease and business interruption cover
Uelzeneranimal insurer from Lower Saxony, restricted acceptance for pig farms
Versicherungskammer Bayernpublic insurer with agricultural business in Bavaria

Compare the wordings of all tariffs Livestock insurance 2 tariffs from 2 providers, as of 24 October 2026

From the BaFin register

155

155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.

(Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden)

Show all 155 names from the register
  • ACM Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Autoversicherung AG
  • ADAC Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Zuhause Versicherung AG
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • AMMERLÄNDER VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Astra Versicherung AG
  • AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • BA die Bayerische Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband
  • Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
  • Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • BavariaDirekt Versicherung AG
  • Bayerische Hausbesitzer-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • BD24 Berlin Direkt Versicherung AG
  • Bergische Brandversicherung Allgemeine Feuerversicherung V.a.G.
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • CG Car-Garantie Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Concordia Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • CONSTANTIA Versicherungen a.G.
  • Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Cosmos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DA Deutsche Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • Delvag Versicherungs-AG
  • DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Sach- und HUK-Versicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche…
  • DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Die Haftpflichtkasse VVaG
  • DOCURA VVaG
  • Dolleruper Freie Brandgilde
  • Domestic & General Insurance Europe AG
  • ERGO Direkt Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EUROPA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EXTREMUS Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Fahrlehrerversicherung Verein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Feuer- und Einbruchschadenkasse der BBBank in Karlsruhe, Versicherungsverein auf…
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG
  • Gebäudeversicherungsgilde für Föhr,Amrum und Halligen
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • GGG Kraftfahrzeug-Reparaturkosten-Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GRUNDEIGENTÜMER-VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
  • GVV Direktversicherung AG
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hagelgilde Versicherungsverein a.G., gegründet 1811
  • Hamburger Beamten-Feuer-und Einbruchskasse
  • Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Hamburger Lehrer-Feuerkasse
  • HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
  • Harsewinkeler Versicherung VaG
  • HDI Global SE
  • HDI Global Specialty SE
  • HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Versicherung AG
  • Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
  • Helvetia Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HUK-COBURG Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a.G. in Coburg
  • HUK-COBURG-Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HUK24 AG
  • Häger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • IDEAL Versicherung AG
  • INTER Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Interlloyd Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • InterRisk Versicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
  • ISSELHORSTER Versicherung V.a.G.
  • Itzehoer Versicherung/Brandgilde von 1691 Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Janitos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-ALLGEMEINE Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • LBN Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • Lehrer-Feuerversicherungsverein a.G. für Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
  • Lifestyle Protection AG
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • Lucura Versicherungs AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Mercedes-Benz Versicherung AG
  • MVK Versicherung VVaG
  • MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • NEH Neue Hildener Versicherung AG
  • Neodigital Versicherung AG
  • Neuendorfer Brand-Bau-Gilde
  • Newline Europe Versicherung AG
  • nexible Versicherung AG
  • Nordhemmer Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • NV-Versicherungen VVaG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • NÜRNBERGER BEAMTEN ALLGEMEINE VERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • OSTBEVERNER Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ProTect Versicherung AG
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • PVAG Polizeiversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Real Garant Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • S DirektVersicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SAARLAND Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Schleswiger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • SCHNEVERDINGER Versicherungsverein a.G.
  • SHB Allgemeine Versicherung VVaG
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Unfallversicherung a. G.
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Stuttgarter Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • TRIAS Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Uelzener Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Union Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG
  • Vereinigte Tierversicherung, Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
  • Versicherungsverband Deutscher Eisenbahnen-Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Volkswagen Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • WERTGARANTIE SE
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
  • Zurich Insurance Europe AG
  • Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

Legal basis and sources

Products and add-ons

Livestock business interruption

Pays lost margin after outbreaks, with a chosen indemnity period and deductible. The core cover for farms whose income comes from the barn.

Herd mortality cover

A fixed sum per animal for death and emergency slaughter from illness and accident. Common for cattle and sow herds.

Individual animal cover

For valuable breeding stock such as bulls or top cows, with an agreed sum per animal, often after a vet check.

Farm package

Buildings, contents, liability and livestock modules in one policy. Convenient, but the livestock part is often narrower than a stand-alone policy.

Myth or truth

True or false?

Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.

In an outbreak the German state pays for everything.

This is false.

False. The Tierseuchenkasse pays animal values up to caps. Lost income, extra costs and restriction zone losses stay with the farm.

Failing to register your herd can cost you compensation.

This is true.

True. Compensation from the fund depends on proper registration and payment of the levy.

The fund pays at most 4,000 € for a head of cattle.

This is true.

True. That is the legal cap in section 16 of the Animal Health Act, even if the animal was worth more.

You can buy disease cover at any time.

This is false.

False. Insurers often refuse new business in affected regions, and waiting periods of up to three months are common.

Business interruption cover pays when prices fall.

This is false.

False. A drop in market prices without an official measure affecting your farm or zone is not insured.

Common mistakes

  • Not registering the herd correctly with the Tierseuchenkasse
  • Waiting until the disease is already in the region
  • Insuring only an outbreak on your own farm and forgetting restriction zones
  • Choosing 12 months' indemnity when restocking takes longer
  • Expanding the herd without updating the policy

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

What does the Tierseuchenkasse pay after a cull?

The common value of animals the authorities ordered killed, capped at 4,000 € per head of cattle,

1,500 € per pig and 6,000 € per horse.

You must have registered the herd and paid the levy.

Lost income afterwards is not included.

Does the policy pay if my animals are healthy?

Only if indirect losses are included.

Then it pays when your farm lies in a restriction or surveillance zone and you are not allowed to

sell.

Basic policies leave this out.

Can I still buy cover once the disease is in my district?

Often not.

Insurers stop new business in affected areas or apply a waiting period that covers exactly the

risky phase.

After foot and mouth disease in 2025 some paused new business entirely.

Is bluetongue covered?

If the policy names it or covers all notifiable diseases.

In 2024 there was no state compensation for animals lost to bluetongue,

so private cover made the difference.

What is the difference between business interruption and mortality cover?

Business interruption pays the financial loss after an outbreak or standstill.

Mortality cover pays the value of individual animals that die from illness or accident.

Many farms need both.

Do I need to tell the insurer when I expand?

Yes.

The policy covers the declared herd.

If you add animals without telling the insurer, a claim is settled on the agreed numbers.

Is a power cut in the barn covered?

Depending on the policy, through an extension of the buildings or contents cover or within the

livestock policy.

Some wordings attach conditions such as alarms or backup power.

We check where the cover sits in your contracts.

Why use a broker for livestock insurance?

Because there are few insurers,

acceptance changes with the disease situation and the differences sit in the small print:

disease list, restriction zones, indemnity period.

We obtain quotes while cover is still available and stay with you if there is a claim.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Livestock insurance

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge.

You can write in English.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Livestock insurance

For example district, mechanical ventilation with backup power, existing policies,

high-value breeding stock

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Free of charge and without obligation. A person will get back to you.

Often goes with it

Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.

Boat insurance

Updated