Extreme summer heat has pushed livestock insurance claims from farms past 2,000 cases in the last two months, with pigs and poultry bearing the brunt.

According to NongHyup Property & Casualty Insurance on Monday, claims filed by farms enrolled in livestock disaster insurance for heat-related incidents totaled 2,135 cases this year as of Friday. About 99 percent were filed in July and August as the heat wave intensified. Pigs accounted for 1,628 of the total claims and poultry for 507.

Livestock disaster insurance covers damage farms may suffer from causes including heat waves, wind, floods, heavy snow, earthquakes, fires and livestock diseases. It serves as a social safety net for farmers, with the government subsidizing half the premium.

The heat wave damage rider, however, is available only for pigs and poultry, including chickens, ducks and quails, given their vulnerability to extreme heat. Pigs have a hard time maintaining safe body temperatures in warm weather because of their thick fat layer, while chickens lack sweat glands and have difficulty cooling down, a problem compounded by dense farming conditions.

The financial toll has grown accordingly. Insurance payouts climbed sharply in recent years, from 7.64 billion won ($5.39 million) in 2022 to 29.72 billion won last year. Total payouts from 2021 to 2025 reached 79.49 billion won.

The number of livestock disaster insurance subscribers has grown as well. New enrollments reached 36,609 in the first half of this year alone, close to the 40,261 annual average recorded from 2023 to 2025.

The heat wave has also taken a toll on farmers themselves. The number of people receiving heat-related illness payouts through NongHyup Life Insurance's farmer safety insurance program rose from 136 in 2024, totaling 114 million won of claims, to 217 last year, totaling 120 million won. As of the end of last month, 48 people had received payouts totaling 59 million won.