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).