Chile: Storage potatoes were the crop most affected by the weather this year.

2025 confirms a trend that is increasingly worrying the agricultural world: claims due to extreme weather events continue to grow and have become the main threat to insured agriculture in China.

A recent report analyzing the evolution of cases between 2021 and 2025 shows that in July of this year, claims increased by 8% compared to 2024 and 15% compared to 2023. This meant a higher level of compensation, which exceeded $2.8 billion, an increase of 12% compared to the same month last year.

Rain and frost, the most damaging events

The most common event so far in 2025 was excessive or unseasonable rainfall, with 411 cases resulting in payments totaling more than $1.536 billion. Also notable were the effects of late frosts, which, along with intense rainfall, affected sensitive crops such as storage potatoes, winter wheat, and edible tomatoes, as well as short-cycle vegetables and cereals.

The hardest-hit regions were Maule, Ñuble, and Biobío, with municipalities such as San Javier, San Carlos, and Los Ángeles reporting high levels of damage.

Year-over-year comparison: a growing problem

The evolution of agricultural accidents in recent years confirms that the climate impact is intensifying:

• 2023: 1,229 cases and more than $1.851 billion in compensation. The most frequent events were heavy rains and frost, with wheat and vegetable crops among the most affected.

• 2024: 1,454 cases and payments exceeding $3.288 billion, almost 80% more than in 2023. Unseasonable rains dominated the landscape, with 867 reports causing massive damage to alternative wheat, minor fruit trees, and vegetables.

• 2025 (to July): 839 claims and more than $2.628 billion in compensation. Although the number of cases is lower than in 2024, the level of losses remains very high, with storage potatoes appearing as the most affected crop.

The impact in hectares: graphic comparisons

The magnitude of the damage can be measured by comparing it with the area of ​​the Ñuñoa commune, which covers 1,690 hectares.

• In 2023, 1,623 hectares were affected, equivalent to almost an entire Ñuñoa.

• By 2024, the figure had soared to 3,805 hectares, more than 2.2 times that area.

• By July 2025, the area of ​​damaged land had reached 2,569 hectares, equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Ñuñoa.

Growing risks from climate change

The study concludes that extreme weather events are intensifying year after year, with increasingly frequent and severe impacts on agriculture. This puts farmers’ productive stability at risk and raises the need to strengthen the sector’s resilience.

Among the most critical phenomena are excessive rainfall, frost, and sudden temperature changes, all associated with climate variability and climate change.

The importance of agricultural insurance

Given this situation, the urgency of strengthening the culture of agricultural insurance is underscored, especially in the most vulnerable regions. Insurance not only provides financial coverage against losses, but also offers tools to address the productive challenges generated by climate change.

The adoption of risk management tools, along with public policies for productive planning and technical support, will be key to protecting producers against scenarios that, all indications are, will continue to intensify in the future.