The recent path of Tropical Storm Isaac in September 2012 caused the destruction of plantain fields in the South Region. This situation forced the national authorities to provide in-kind assistance (i.e. planting materials, fertilizers, cleaning labor, land preparation) to the most affected farmers. Although some private insurers provide agriculture insurance, the Ministry of Agriculture does not have a pre-defined budget to tackle the negative effects caused by events in the agricultural sector while it faces significant contingent liabilities in this sector. The Ministry of Agriculture of

Argentina’s agriculture sector is very vulnerable to weather risks. For instance, cotton in the Chaco Province - the most important cotton producing area in Argentina and the third poorest province - is very exposed to drought, excess rainfall and pests. Similarly, cattle-rearing in South West Buenos Aires Province is very exposed to droughts which impact severely on pasture production. In 2011, the Government of Argentina through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAGyP), requested the World Bank to conduct a feasibility study for the development of a suitable index-based