130 drought affected farmers benefit from crop insurance

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | About 130 farmers in Lango sub region who lost their crops and recorded poor harvest in the first season of 2019 have been compensated. The crops were affected by inconsistent rains and prolonged drought between the months of March and June.

The affected farmers drawn from Kwania, Apac, Lira and Kole districts have since received compensation from Ensibuuko Technology, a private organization promoting crops insurance under the Market Lead User ICT for Agriculture Enable Information Services (MUIIS) Project.

Under this scheme, a farmer is required to pay about shillings 30,000 per acre to insure their crops each season. Once their crops are affected by either drought or rain, they are entitled to a minimum compensation of shillings 150,000 per acre of the crop depending on the market price.

So far about 38 farmers in Kwania and Apac districts under Apac Farmer’s Association have received compensation to the tune of shillings 6 million. In Lira district, some 13 farmers received shillings 3M while ahillings 10M was paid out to farmers in Kole district.

Martha Twesigye, the Marketing Officer Ensibuuko Technology Limited, says the beneficiary farmers subscribed to their premium crop insurance. She said those compensated lost about 80 percent of their crops in the first season.

She says a farmer’s crop yield is inspected jointly with the area agricultural officer to verify if its harvest corresponds to the normal yield.

James Ogwang Omara, resident of Amwanga village in Chawente sub county paid about shillings 150,000 as premium to insure his five acre soya bean garden and received Shillings 875,000 as compensation.

Lilly Ayugi, a resident of Aboko parish in Aduku Sub County received about Shillings 500,000 as compensation for her soya beans. Ayugi says she will use the money to improve her goat project.

Samuel Opule, the Kwania district Agricultural Officer advised farmers to embrace crop insurance due to the changing weather pattern. Opule says this will protect farmers from blanket losses due to drought or uncertainty.

Whereas some farmers have been compensated, several farmers are still unaware of the crop insurance scheme. Bosco Okello, a resident of Aduku sub county, says he has never been told about the scheme much as he would wish to join.

Okello asked Ensibuuko Technology Limited to sensitize farmers about the scheme.

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