About time farmers take insurance seriously
The year 2022 is not an easy one for the farming community. The rains came late and, when they did, they were very heavy in most parts.
As it stands, no one is sure when they are going to stop. Truly speaking, the stakes are very high.
This situation is fortunate and unfortunate at the same time depending on where you are standing.
There will be big winners as well as big losers.
Those who are fortunate and have their crops reach maturity are going to enjoy brisk business as most farm produce is going to be affected by the effects of climate change.
The unfortunate ones have either already suffered losses because of the late rains, or their crop is going to drown in the heavy rains that are expected.
To be safe, farmers must insure their crop so that they may minimise their losses.
Even those into animal husbandry must take insurance for their livestock so that they have a fall-back plan.
Possibilities of a heatwave that may affect poultry production are very high.
Last year Midlands Veterinary Provincial Director Dr Martin Sibanda was quoted in the Press saying, “Many farmers, especially those into broiler production have suffered losses because generally birds cannot tolerate temperatures above 32 degrees. We have unfortunately endured high temperatures of over 36 degrees and many farmers are at loss.”
He added that pigs were also affected by the high temperatures.
It is in such instances that farmers then rue not having insurance.
Imagine those farmers who do 10 000 broiler chickens at a time and they all die because of high temperatures!
That will be a loss of over US$30 000. Surely such investments must be insured. Another fact to consider as well is that high temperatures move hand-in-glove with veld fires that may destroy not only livestock and crops but also infrastructure.
Insurance will help farmers to mitigate their losses.
Last year, the country experienced very low temperatures and many farmers suffered losses despite planting winter crops.
Peas, garlic and onion that usually thrive during the winter season were destroyed by frost. In most cases, these crops are grown with export contracts where farmers pay for freight in advance in the hope that they will harvest and send to the market.
It is very rare to have any glitches with these crops because during the winter season, there is very low pest activity.
But unfortunately last year the adverse weather conditions caught farmers unawares as they were expecting bumper harvest riding on the good rainfall the country got
Meteorological Services Department (MSD) chief forecaster John Ngoma claimed that the temperatures hit between two degrees celsius and zero degree celsius.
Masvingo, Gweru, Mukandi, Chivhu,
Lupane, Rusape, Nyanga, Bulawayo, Matopos, Henderson, Hwedza, Harare, Chitungwiza, Selous, and Marondera were the worst hit, according to MSD.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union director Paul Zakariya at the time said there was a need to start talking about insurance with every farmer.
“We know it might be a challenge for smallholder farmers, but medium-to-large scale farmers need to insure their crops. That is the best way to preserve their crops,” said Zakariya.
Over the years, as banking has evolved, many local banks are starting to reconsider insurance for farmers and it is time to take advantage of it.
There are various packages on offer in the market that farmers must consider.
Most communal farmers, especially those that are into tobacco and cotton have lost their produce in accidents on its way to the. market and because it was not insured they did not recover anything.
Even those in animal husbandry need insurance in transporting their ostriches, horses, cattle, goats, pigs and many others.
It may sound like an overkill but farmers really need to start considering insurance.
It could be short term or long term, but farms need insurance cover.
Security wise, it is important that one has insurance because there is a lot of infrastructure that can be stolen or vandalised at the farm.
These include electricity transformers, irrigation equipment, household or even machinery such as tractors and grinding mills at the farm need to be covered by insurance.
Even the farmer and his workers at the farm need health and funeral insurance.
Most farm workers are exposed to conditions and chemicals that affect their health. For example, those who work in tobacco fields will eventually have chest infections.
In fact, an article published by the Nation Library of Medicine claimed that, “Occupational health problems among 100 tobacco processing workers were investigated. Symptoms, including vomiting, giddiness, headache, etc. were found among 69 exposed subjects. It was also observed that the excretion rate of nicotine and cotinine increased among exposed subjects. Biochemical parameters were found to be within the normal range. Electrocardiographic findings were non-specific and clinically there was no evidence of hypertension or ischemic heart disease. Therefore, the symptoms in tobacco processing workers might possibly result from mild nicotine toxicity.”
The use of chemicals like Rogor which are highly toxic and many others used in animal husbandry expose the workers to life threatening dangers that require insurance in case of any eventuality.
Worse still, the workers can be injured at work, for example, one can be gored by a raging bull, or stomped by a horse.
This is when insurance becomes handy. In conclusion, the generation for farming with a lucky charm in hand is over and farmers must start treating their enterprise as a business. This entails putting safety nets on the business so that in the event that the unexpected happens, the farmer can salvage something. The best way of covering your back is having insurance.
Gwabanayi is a practising journalist and a farmer in his own right. — 0772 865 703 or gwabanayi@ gmail.com