Indonesia: Farmers to get insurance for harvest failure

The Jakarta Post 2 Mar 16;

The Gorontalo Agriculture Agency has launched an insurance program that will give farmers protection should there be harvest failures due to pest attacks, natural disasters and climate-related factors. The agency’s head, Muljady Mario, said to participate in the program, farmers should pay a premium of Rp 36,000 (US$2.70) per hectare to farmers’ groups in every planting season. State-owned insurance company Jasindo is involved in the program.

“The premium is actually Rp 180,000, but we subsidize 80 percent,” Muljady said.

He said that for the first step, they would give insurance for 20,000 hectares of land of the total targeted 32,000 hectares.

“We’ve been organizing discussions with farmers’ groups to promote the program, and we hope they are interested in joining,” Muljady said