Government Launches Agricultural Insurance Awareness Campaign
In the face of escalating climate change threats and limited capacity to withstand severe droughts, stakeholders believe that agricultural index insurance could be transformative for Zimbabwe’s smallholder farmers.
By some estimates, smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, provide about 70% of the country’s food requirements yet they depend heavily on unpredictable rainfall. This puts both the nation’s food security and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers at risk.
To mitigate these risks, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development is working with key stakeholders to expand agricultural index insurance nationwide, building on the success of the Goromonzi district pilot project. The project, dubbed the “farmer’s basket,” aims to promote resilience through a comprehensive insurance approach tailored for smallholder farmers.
Consumer education and awareness will be crucial in driving the adoption of agricultural index insurance among smallholder farmers. In line with this, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) launched the Climate Risk Agriculture Insurance Education Project yesterday. Supported by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) and other stakeholders, this initiative aims to unlock the potential of index-based insurance for smallholder farmers.
At the launch, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, emphasized the importance of effective risk management strategies to protect smallholder farmers in the context of climate change.
In a speech delivered by Mr. Clemence Bwenje, Chief Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Prof. Jiri noted that traditional insurance models do not adequately meet smallholder farmers’ needs.
“Therefore, we are launching this innovative index-based insurance education project, specifically designed for smallholders,” he said.
“This initiative aims to empower communities with insurance knowledge, enabling them to recover swiftly from disasters while fostering long-term resilience.” Prof. Jiri added that the Ministry regards agricultural insurance as an essential input, akin to seed and fertilizer.
Mrs. Sibongile Siwela, Director of Insurance at IPEC, highlighted that the campaign would help demystify insurance for smallholder farmers.
ICZ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Donald Muthe, added that the upcoming train-the-trainer campaign would target Business Development Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture (formerly extension officers), as well as farmers’ unions, local leaders, and the Agricultural & Rural Development Authority (ARDA).
Zimbabwe Farmers Union Executive Director, Mr. Paul Zakaria, expressed optimism that the campaign would increase awareness of agricultural insurance among smallholder farmers.
For the 2024/2025 agricultural season, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to implement the farmer’s basket insurance product in one district each across eight of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces, excluding Harare and Bulawayo.
Through collaboration and innovation, this insurance product could become a vital tool in building smallholder farmers’ resilience against climate-related risks.
