Calliden Group has affirmed its commitment to the farm insurance market after announcing its decision to close the four regional offices of rural insurer ARGIS.

Calliden will shutter ARGIS premises in Albury, Tamworth, Toowoomba and Canberra as part of a move to centralise the business in Melbourne. Development managers will retain a presence in the regions.

Group Executive Marketing and Distribution Mike Hooton told insuranceNEWS.com.au Calliden intends to reposition ARGIS as a farm insurance specialist after previously dealing in other lines including home insurance, which will be rebranded as Calliden cover.

ARGIS underwriting agency will operate within a specialised farm centre in Calliden’s Melbourne office. This is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Mr Hooton says the decision to close the four regional offices affects fewer than 30 staff, with employees invited to take up positions elsewhere in the group.

Mr Hooton says the move ensures Calliden’s ongoing commitment to the farm insurance market.

“We’ve restated our appetite for farm insurance while a number of others have opted to pull out,” he said. “It can be difficult to handle farm business over a disparate system and it makes sense for us to centralise that business in Melbourne.

“We’re being very clear in what farms we’re writing and what locations we’re writing now, and looking to raise the bar in terms of the service we can offer from a centralised location.”

Calliden also plans to launch a new farm product in support of the move.