Crop Insurance to manage tobacco farming risks.

Buhle Nkomo

Rains are sometimes accompanied by hailstorm and lightning and these are major concerns for tobacco farmers as they can be very destructive.

Hailstorm is a solid precipitation that can wreak havoc on the tobacco leaves while lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge which can destroy vast areas of the tobacco crop. 

The good news however is farmers can insure their crop against the sudden and disturbing incidents with reputable insurance companies to avert losses associated with hailstorm and lightning.

Whilst farmers from hailstorm prone areas cannot afford not to insure their tobacco crop, farmers from other areas can consider taking insurances for barn fires as well as goods in transit which covers theft of tobacco bales which may take place between the farm and the floors.  

  

Unlike other kinds of insurances where you first pay your initial premium or have a waiting period before you are covered, insurances for risk associated with farming are only paid for at the end of the season after you have sold your crop. 

  

This is a bonus because first time tobacco farmers can be covered after filling in a stop order form and attaining certificate of insurance. 

The premium which is deducted as a percentage upon sale is only made after one has finally sold their crop at the floors. 

Acquiring a reputable insurance cover enables the farm to gain their feet in the face of poor yields due to hailstones, theft or barn fires hence the need for farmers to be covered. 

When ensuring the tobacco crop, one should consider the magnitude of loss to the business and whether they will be able to recover from it in the event of misfortune happening. 

  

Crop insurance is a risk management method for farmers which they can use to financially recover from natural disasters during the tobacco growing season. 

  

When choosing insurance companies, tobacco farmers should be astute about the history, reputation and record of the company and not just randomly select any company at their disposal since some insurance firms prey on unsuspecting farmers in order to fleece them of their hard earned money hence where not sure, farmers are advised to contact the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

  

Farmers are urged to read and understand the policy and strictly adhere to it so as to avoid disappointment.

Some policies for instance require farmers to report hailstorm to the insurer within three days and doing so after a week is not prudent.

  

Farmers should also choose the most effective and affordable insurance company so as to contain their production costs. 

Having insured their crops, tobacco farmers are also encouraged to consider insuring the future of the tobacco industry by joining the rest of the nation in tree planting as establishing woodlots is a way of doing so. 

Tobacco should never be cured using indigenous trees but sustainable produced firewood.

Woodlots around the field also act as windbreaks hence tobacco farmers are encouraged to consider wind breaks such as trees or shrubs in order to reduce wind speed on the tobacco crops since the crop may not be able to withstand harsh wind which may damage leaves. 

Farmers who already have woodlots are encouraged not to cut trees that are at the wind ward side of the field as they might help to block wind efficiently. 

As a thumb of a rule, the tobacco field must not be in an open or deforestation subjected area to protect wind from breaking the leaves hence farmers without woodlots are encouraged to plant trees.

Farmers are implored to insure their tobacco crop through reputable insurance companies as well as insure the future of the tobacco industry through sustainable tobacco production which has tree planting as one of its critical success factors.

For additional Information contact
TIMB on telephone numbers 08677004624/6 or 0772145166/9 or 0279-22082/21982 or 025-3439 or 067-24268/29246 or 0277-2700 or 064-7280 or 0271-6772 or Toll Free Numbers 08006003 / 0731999999 / 0712832804 or WhatsApp 0731999999 or E-mail: info@timb.co.zw