Sheema: Farmers urged to embrace agricultural insurance

AMBROSE MUHUMUZA

With the increasing weather catastrophes around the country, the majority farmers are still counting losses which not only impact negatively on their wellbeing but also the economy.

However, economists have advised farmers to embrace agricultural insurance as a mitigation measure to such climatic changes.

Isingiro, Kigezi and greater Bushenyi districts are among the areas hit hard by climatic changes which including drought, hailstorms, floods and pests and diseases.

By the time these catastrophes hit farmers they find them unaware of the possible solutions.

In fact majority of them tend to cry out to government to provide them with food relief, shelter, payment of their bank loans among others.

These disasters not only impact negatively on their wellbeing but also the economy.

Some farmers have always gone to banks and other financial institutions to acquire loans to invest in agriculture with hope of improving their production.

But after these disasters hit, they grapple with paying back the loans.

Some of the farmers attribute the blame to extension workers whom they accuse of not doing their work in providing technical support to them to practice better methods of farming to boost their agricultural productions.

Allan Karakure, the Sheema district commercial officer, said many Saccos in the district are grappling with loans and some are on the verge of collapse.

As one of the mitigation measures to these catastrophes, farmers are being advised to embrace agricultural insurance as cover for all agricultural challenges.

Muhame financial services is one of the SACCOs in the region that have gone ahead to sign memorandum of understanding with UAP Insurance to ensure that their members who are involved in farming are shielded from the disasters.

Their members welcomed the move requesting other financial institutions to follow suit.