7,000 farmers in Lango enrol for crop insurance scheme
Over 7,000 farmers in Lango sub-region have subscribed for crop insurance with Ensibuuko Technology Limited, a leading fintech organisation.
Ensibuuko Technology Limited, in partnership with the Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA) and Uganda National Farmers’ Federation (UNFF) in conjunction with the District Farmers’ Association and the Area Cooperatives in various districts of Uganda, is providing Agro Insurance Consortium to different farmers to mitigate climate change.
Some of the districts involved in the scheme include Apac, Lira, Oyam, Kole, Dokolo, Amolatar, Kwania, Otuke, Alebtong and Kwania, as well as the neighbouring districts of Pader, Agago and Gulu.
Under the scheme, a farmer is required to pay a subscription fee of Shs 30,000 per acre each season in order to insure against droughts and excessive rain which normally affect the crop yield. All crops are covered by insurance except sugar cane, tree seedlings and woodlots; a farmer is then eligible for a minimum compensation of Shs 290,000 per acre.
According to Martha Twesigye, the Marketing Officer at Ensibuuko Technology Limited a farmer’s crop yield is inspected jointly with the area agricultural officer to verify if its harvest corresponds to the normal yield. She urges all farmers to insure their gardens in order to mitigate the risks and uncertainty.
Daniel Ocen, the Regional Coordinator, Ensibuuko Technology Limited for Lango sub-region, and a member of Apac District Farmers’ Association, says 7,018 farmers in Lango and the neighbouring districts, have subscribed for insurance services in the first season of 2020 under the Market-led, User-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Services (MUIIS) project.
Ocen said the project aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers by offering agronomic tips, training farmers on post-harvest handling and crop compensation, among other services.
‘‘As a company, we intend to improve on the livelihoods of local farmers by mitigating losses incurred because of climate change. We offer agronomic tips from planting up to post-harvest handling, as well as weather tips and market information through SMS to empower the farmers.’’.
Ambrose Omuno, a resident of Angole-nyang village in Aduku sub-county, Kwania district who has insured his 7-acre soya bean farm is optimistic that he will reap big this time around.
“I’m now receiving agronomic tips on my mobile phone that are helping me effectively to manage my crops,” he reveals.
Another farmer, Teddy Akello from Chegere sub-county in Apac district thanked Ensibuuko Technology Limited for offering the seasonal insurance services and called upon other farmers to join the company so as to improve on their livelihoods.
In December last year (2019), 38 drought-affected farmers in Kwania, Lira and Apac districts under the Apac and Lira District Farmers Association received Shs 6m in insurance compensation from Ensibuuko. In Lira district, 13 farmers received Shs 3m, while Shs 10m was paid out to farmers in Kole district.
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