Aerial view of agricultural fields showing drought stress patterns from above

Agricultural Coverage

Drought triggers that pay before the harvest fails.

Row crops, specialty crops, and forage operations across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. SPI-3, PDSI, and precipitation deficit triggers calibrated to your growing window.

SPI-3

Primary drought metric

Apr–Sep

Typical coverage window

72 hrs

Payout on trigger

Agricultural trigger metrics.

Each metric is available as a standalone trigger or in combination with a secondary confirming index. All source data is publicly archived and independently verifiable.

SPI-3 — Standardized Precipitation Index

Threshold range: -1.0 to -2.0 | Typical: -1.5

3-month rolling precipitation anomaly, standardized against historical distribution for the reference station. WMO-endorsed primary drought monitoring metric. Triggers when cumulative precipitation falls into the "severe drought" percentile for that station and time period.

Payout: Binary at threshold or linear scale below -1.5

PDSI — Palmer Drought Severity Index

Threshold range: -2.0 to -4.0 | Typical: -3.0

Integrates temperature and precipitation to model soil moisture content. More sensitive to prolonged multi-month drought conditions. Useful as a secondary confirming trigger alongside SPI-3 for policies requiring belt-and-suspenders threshold design.

Payout: Binary at PDSI threshold crossing

Precipitation Deficit %

Threshold range: 25% to 50% below normal | Typical: 35%

Simple percentage departure from the 30-year normal precipitation for the coverage window. Intuitive for policyholders, directly observable from monthly station totals. Best suited for operations with clear direct-damage correlation to rainfall totals rather than soil moisture indices.

Payout: Proportional to deficit depth below threshold

Growing Degree Days — Deficit

Threshold: 15–25% below normal GDD accumulation

Cumulative heat units accumulated above base temperature during the growing season. GDD deficit triggers protect against cool-season stress that delays maturity and reduces yield potential. Commonly used for corn, soybeans, and specialty vegetables with temperature-sensitive development stages.

Payout: Binary at seasonal GDD shortfall threshold

Eligible crops and operations.

Row Crops

Field-scale grain and fiber.

Corn Soybeans Winter wheat Cotton Grain sorghum

Typical window: Apr–Oct / SPI-3 primary trigger

Specialty Crops

High-value perennial and vegetable.

Wine & table grapes Tomatoes & peppers Peaches & tree fruits Sweet corn & leafy greens Peanuts

Typical window: May–Sep / PDSI + SPI-3 dual trigger

Livestock & Forage

Pasture, hay, and rangeland.

Pasture forage (beef / dairy) Hay operations Rangeland Silage corn

Typical window: Apr–Aug / Precipitation deficit primary

Coverage scenario: Georgia cotton, 2024 drought season.

Policy type SPI-3 drought trigger, binary payout

Coverage window April 1 – September 30, 2024

Reference station NOAA COOP #094429
Tifton, GA

Trigger threshold SPI-3 ≤ -1.50

Trigger event August 12, 2024
SPI-3 = -1.83

Settlement Wire initiated August 14, 2024
(48 hours post-trigger)

Adjuster visit None required

SPI-3 — April through August 2024

Synthetic scenario for illustration. Values reference realistic PRISM methodology.

Agricultural coverage FAQ.

Your coverage area is defined by the reference station set — typically one primary NOAA Co-op station and one or two confirming stations within 25 miles of your operation. Station selection is agreed at policy binding. For operations spanning multiple counties or climatically distinct areas, multi-station policies using weighted averages are available.

We can design coverage for most field-grown crops and orchard operations. The requirement is a demonstrable historical correlation between the index and measurable loss outcomes — which we verify through our backtesting process. Contact us with your crop type and we'll assess feasibility.

No. Policy terms are fixed at binding. This determinism is the structural guarantee of the 72-hour payout — both parties have the same information set throughout the coverage window. Mid-season modifications would create adverse selection risk that would undermine the product's economic model.

No. Riskwright does not replicate USDA multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI). MPCI pays on adjuster-assessed actual yield loss and covers every cause of damage — drought, flood, hail, disease — within the policy. Riskwright pays on one thing: the agreed weather index crossing the agreed threshold, regardless of your actual loss. These are complementary products, not competing ones. Many operations carry both: USDA MPCI for full indemnity coverage, and a Riskwright parametric policy for immediate cash flow when drought data confirms the event before the adjuster has been scheduled.

Minimum policy limits start at $100,000 per event. Agricultural operations with smaller acreage may find coverage limits below this threshold uneconomical given the underwriting and monitoring costs. Contact us to discuss your specific operation size and coverage needs.

Protect this season's yield.

Share your crop type, acreage, and primary weather risk. We'll design a trigger proposal for your operation.

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