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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau
Ever-changing climatic patterns and the old habit of some starting uncontrolled fires produce rising risks for communal farmers and their work, but can be addressed if they insure their crops and infrastructure, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Kindness Paradza has said.
He made the point at St Ruppert’s Secondary School in Makonde district’s Ward 15 during an outreach programme to provide insurance awareness and knowledge to communal farmers, that was organised by the insurance regulatory body, the Insurance and Pensions Commission of Zimbabwe (IPEC).
Farmers in the area, just like many across the country and the world, are feeling the heat of adverse climate change.
As a way to ensure that they are not financially affected by droughts, hailstorms and cyclones caused by the changes and other unforeseen circumstances, farmers were challenged to make use of insurance companies registered in the country.
“The Government is going to avail Pfumvudza inputs on time and this is in line with President Mnangagwa’s call for rural communities to be included economically,” he said. “As the Government does its part that includes disbursing free inputs, let’s all make sure that we insure the crops from unseen circumstances that include poor rainfall, hailstorm and fires.”
Deputy Minister Paradza said farmers were supposed to underwrite their lives with funeral policy firms to lessen the burden of funeral and burial arrangements.
Protection of wealth and life has been shunned by the majority of rural folks.
“Insurance policies and compensations are not for urban dwellers alone, but this also caters for you as the rural communities,” he said. “You can also protect your livestock against diseases that have seen many communal farmers lose cattle.”
IPEC public relations manager Mr Lloyd Gumbo said the outreach programme was meant to provide awareness to the ‘neglected communities’ as far as insurance matters were concerned and for buttressing President Mnangagwa’s call for financial inclusion.
“The Second Republic is ensuring that no one is left behind regarding the financial services sector and, as the insurance and pensions’ regulator, we are encouraging companies to come with products that also support communities that have been excluded,” he said.
IPEC was encouraging communal farmers that were battling the adverse impacts of climate change to safeguard their crops, he said.
“Communal farmers are the most affected globally as far as climatic changes are concerned,” said Mr Gumbo. “Microinsurance and agricultural insurance products can help them recover for the negative aftermaths of climate change, veld fires and other occasions.”
With the recent fire outbreaks hitting boarding schools, the insurance regulator also challenged institutions to insure against unpredictable occurrences.
IPEC, in conjunction with the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Ministry and insurance and agriculture stakeholders, is now working on the innovation lab project that seeks to guarantee the protection of farmers.
The project also seeks to ensure that seed companies develop and provide varieties that are adaptive to the farmers’ areas and regions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the campaign, villagers from the area lauded the initiative which enhanced their understanding of insurance.
Ward 15 councillor Samuel Chaparadza said veld fires were rampant in the area which had seen people losing their lives, property, crops and livestock.
“This is an eye-opener to villagers around here,” he said. “Now that we know we can insure our crops, livestock and property, it’s now our duty as councillors to cascade the information to all areas.”
Mrs Francisca Paradzai (76) lauded IPEC’s initiative to provide awareness to the community.
“Since 1955 when I started staying in this area, this is the first time to see this commission coming to us,” she said. “We are grateful for the awareness.”
The day saw pensioners that were failing to access their payouts having their issues addressed.
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