Delays insurance programs for farmers
On weather index insurance, farmers say that the Alliance program for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) has run out of funds. The Swaziland Farmers Union has been commissioned to do the exercises, but this time the process is still being held. Accounts Administration Officer Nozipho Maphanga confirmed that the program has been discontinued for a while. He also said that ACTESA advised to stop exercise because we will run out of money for it other than that their coffers have dried up and they are still awaiting funding from the European Union (EU).
In late July, the sensitization exercise is expected to be completed. A conference held in Harare last month acknowledged the various initiatives undertaken by the Public Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in an effort to tackle climate change at various levels such as COMESA, the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) and COMESA Regional Agro-Input Program (COMRAP). According to the recommendations made during the conference stated that implementing COMRAP organizations will have a series of farmers’ awareness campaign on weather index insurance in eight COMESA land-locked countries in late July 2011. Expression of the willingness of farmers to pursue weather index insurance is one of the key findings of the farmer’s awareness campaigns.
“They’ve set a schedule which areas to be visited”, said Maphanga. He also said that based on recent developments, they are planning to cooperate with the ACAT and Rural Development (RDAs) because they are the ones on the ground.
He also added that we plan to work with ACAT and RDAs while waiting for funds from ACTESA, after the money liquid so we are going to distribute it because we do not want to be behind schedule.
