Farmers Urged to Get Insurance

Harare, Dec 30, 2009 (The Herald/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Farming experts have encouraged farmers to insure their livestock and crops to cushion them from the effects of natural disasters such as floods, hailstorms and droughts.

The call comes amid an increase in the number of farmers who have been caught off guard by unfriendly weather conditions and disease outbreaks.

An official with Jupiter Insurance, one of the few companies that provide insurance for farmers, Mr Philimon Mawubire, said farmers needed to take farming as a serious business and insure their crops and livestock so that they do not lose out in cases of disasters. He said the unpredictable weather conditions that had been experienced in Zimbabwe and the region require that farmers be prepared.

"We are encouraging our farmers to insure their tobacco crop from the growing stage right to the auction floor by taking the hail to floor insurance cover.

"This will ensure that the crop is covered until it is on the auction floors and guards against adverse weather effects, fire and mishaps during transporting.

"Hailstorms are still there and we encourage farmers to rush to cover their crop. Even if a farmer may not be affected by hailstorms, he or she may be affected by fire or (the crop) gets stolen or is lost during transportation," he said.

In the event that a farmer loses his livestock or crops due to natural disasters, insurance guarantees them compensation.

Hailstorms last week destroyed crops in Mt Darwin, Beatrice, and parts of Harare and Chegutu leaving the farmers counting their losses.

Mashonaland Central provincial Agritex officer Mr Stancilae Tapererwa said most farmers did not insure their crops leaving them at the mercy of natural disasters.

"We have been getting reports of farmers who are continually losing their tobacco and maize. Recently farmers lost 2,7 hectares of tobacco to hailstorm. That is why we keep on advising farmers to insure their crops. We would want to urge responsible authorities to embark on a massive campaign to encourage farmers to plant trees to reduce the impact of strong winds on buildings and crops," Mr Tapererwa said.

Mr Mawubire said his company had witnessed a slight increase in inquiries and uptake of crop insurance covers over the past weeks. Farmers, he said, did not see the value of insuring their crop but recent events had shown the need to get cover for their crops.