Farmer Community Outreach
Mayfair Central Testimonial
Weather Index Insurance is a microinsurance product, launched by Mayfair insurance in Zambia in 2014, and that has been helping small-holder farmers mitigate risks posed by climate change.
Derick Chanda (Chairperson – Kangomba Camp) expressed that most of the farmers in the district did not have insurance to rely on, and that whenever they faced problems or challenges with their crops, they were not sure about where to go and who to ask for help. Now that insurance companies like Mayfair have presence in their lands, they have been able to discuss the technicalities of their insurance agreements and get a better understanding of the coverage and benefits they could get to help them with their farming when facing a challenging situation.
Members of this community recommend other farmers that haven’t joined an insurance firm yet, to be a part of cooperatives or women’s clubs so when they encounter problems, they are able to get assistance from insurance. Farmers state that having insurance can be very helpful with so many problems they can face on a regular basis; and if they are not part of any farming group, it would be really complicated for them to get any kind of needed assistance.
As Patricia Kaoma (SAO-Kabwe District) would say: farmers are very vulnerable, and they do not have a lot of collateral. Actually, most of them do not even have collateral or right to land so they are basically using borrowed fields to plant just for them to have households and some food security. It is because of this vulnerability, that when farmers put the very little they have in the soil and it all goes away because of drought or rain, they can find themselves losing everything. Now, with the right support of insurance livelihood will be able to sustain.
Farmers in the area are currently very grateful to have received the visit from Mayfair not only to explain to them better what weather index insurance is about, but specially to educate them.
Mayfair North Western Testimonial
Since its inception in 2014, the focus with Mayfair Insurance in Zambia has been helping small-holder farmers mitigate risks posed by climate change. Mayfair has since insured millions of farmers and has been a farmer’s friend in securing food baskets at domestic and national levels.
Weather insurance is very important in agriculture. Agriculture is a very risky business that can be affected by so many factors. Emmanuel Ndoyo (DACO-Zambezi District) states that the whole district of Zambezi is currently covered, and that there are around 2,900 insured farmers getting payouts for the first-time. It is thanks to the hard work of insurance companies like Mayfair, that farmers have been able to collect various inputs such as implements, chemicals, and seeds to help them improve their farming. These initiatives are boosting their home economies and hopefully giving them a positive outlook during this health crisis where things are challenging for almost each household.
For the first time farmers have been able to receive payouts from an insurance company and to recognize the valuable work that has been done in the district to educate and support them during an emergency. They are very appreciative of the tools that have been provided (hoes, seeds, pesticides), allowing them to face difficult circumstances and uplifting their livelihoods.
Mayfair Southern Testimonial
When farmers learned about weather insurance in the southern area, there were a lot of pests affecting their fields. Insurers were able to help provide them with pesticides to spray into their fields and control various pests that had attacked their crops. Insurance can help small scale farmers not only to mitigate drought spells when there is no proper rainfall, but also provide assistance when affected by many other factors.
The job of insurers, as Niza Banda (Mayfair – Index Insurance Analyst), explains is to help farmers when things become more challenging and compensate them so they are able to buy farming inputs they might need for their farming, or even food for their homes.
Farmers are also advised during this health crisis to help them when dealing with some of their family members being impacted by COVID-19. Families can now utilize their payouts to take their child or spouses to the hospital to be accordingly treated.
The community of Pemba District value the presence of Mayfair Insurance and their useful assistance when facing weather related challenges like droughts or flood, and many others. Farmers are very interested in continuing learning about these programs and getting even more coverage in the near future.