Staff Reporter

Government has set in motion an agriculture and rural service insurance plan to cushion farmers from losing their crops and livestock to unexpected incidents and natural disasters such as hailstorms, strong winds, dry spells and floods, which may affect crops and livestock.

Several farmers especially those from the tobacco industry have over the years lost their crops to hailstorms while others failed to recover the value of their produce damaged by rains or fire owing to lack of insurance. 

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr. Anxious Masuka noted that several farmers are battling to recover their money and fail to pay back loans after their crops are damaged under different circumstances like fire, hailstorm and other disasters, hence the Government came up with the agriculture insurance plan.

The insurance model will see the Agriculture Finance Corporation Insurance Company providing affordable insurance cover to farmers across the agriculture value chain.

“As you are aware the new dispensation has moved in to assist farmers with inputs and loans under various programmes. But we have seen several farmers battling to recover their money and fail to pay back loans after their crops were damaged under different circumstance like fire, hailstorm and other disasters. The President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa has therefore appointed a board for the AFC insurance company to cater for such unexpected eventualities,” said  Minister Masuka

Dr Masuka outlined several opportunities which the AFC Insurance Company can target.

“We have over 21 thousand Commercial Farmers whose farms, government now considered can be transformed into 21 000 companies if AFC insurance can identify and support them with insurance cover,’’ he added.

The AFC Insurance Board is chaired by Ruth Ncube and other Board members include Shamiso Chikobvu, Andrew Pascoe, Loveness Mhindurwa, Joyce Benza and Kura Sibanda.