Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu
GOVERNMENT in partnership with Champions Insurance Company has engaged in a nationwide sensitisation programme to encourage farmers to take up crop and livestock insurance as it seeks to boost wheat production and develop the agricultural sector.
The country is targeting to put 85 000 hectares under wheat production this winter, up from 80 000 ha in the corresponding period last year. In 2022, the area planted to wheat jumped 22 percent from 66 434 ha in 2021 to 80 883. Wheat output increased by 25 percent from over 300 000 metric tonnes in 2021 to 375 000 metric tonnes in 2022, against a national annual requirement of 360 000 metric tonnes, leaving a surplus of over 15 000mt.
The production figure for the 2022 winter season is the highest ever achieved since 1962 when wheat was first grown in Zimbabwe.
In an interview after a wheat and livestock insurance sensitisation meeting that was attended by Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) district heads from Matabeleland South recently, acting provincial agricultural director rural development services, Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu said the insurance company was coming in to safeguard the farmer as well as the industry supported by wheat production.
He said the agricultural sector is severely affected when farmers incur losses which affect their production. Mr Ndlovu said the success of the agricultural sector is underpinned by the capacity of farmers to produce.
“This programme will assist in attaining the target with regards to winter wheat production and to safeguard losses which are incurred by farmers. The insurance company is coming in with awareness and education in terms of the packages they offer in order to safeguard losses. For this meeting, we brought in district officers and all stakeholders involved in winter wheat production in order to bring them up to speed with strategies by Government to curb losses.
“Last year we had incidences where farmers lost their crop to fires. The main issue is to ensure farmers protect their crops against disasters such as fire, veld fires, drought and animals such as elephants or quelea birds. We also had farmers who had their wheat affected by rains which compromised quality,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said farmers have been reluctant to take up insurance policies but the programme being rolled out by Government seeks to change that mindset.
Champions Insurance Company business development executive, Mr Munyaradzi Chicheko said the sensitisation programme which is being conducted in partnership with Government would be conducted throughout the country.
“We are on a drive to push and educate farmers to insure their crops and livestock. In this meeting, we were talking about wheat and livestock insurance. On wheat, we have field to floor cover which covers farmers from risks against fire, lightning and explosion, hail, destruction by wild animals, frost and loss due to unseasonable rains prior to harvesting. We also provide Geographical Information Systems (GIS) where farmers can get information such as yield estimates prior to harvesting.
“We also have an all risk insurance cover for livestock which covers all diseases including outbreaks such as foot and mouth, black leg and lumpy skin. We also put identity tags and GPRS trackers on the livestock. This initiative will also unbundle redundant capital in the form of livestock as farmers will be able to go and borrow money from the banks using their livestock insurance and certificate,” he said.
Mr Chicheko said farmers would be able to use their cattle as collateral once they are insured. He said having farmers insured would help to unlock value of livestock and animals for the development of the economy.
Mr Chicheko said the strategy was to first educate the technical experts on insurance and its importance.
The awareness meetings would then cascade down to farmers across the country. – @DubeMatutu
Online Reporter