Some of the farmers who lost their crops in the Horn of
Africa drought this year may be able to afford farming next season, with the
help of a 'micro-insurance' scheme.
Kilimo Salama - Swahili for 'safe farming' - was launched
last year, providing small-scale farmers in Kenya
with crop insurance by combining mobile phone payment with the data from
automated weather stations.
Farmers register with one of 30 solar-powered weather
stations, each covering a 15-20 kilometre radius, and purchase insurance when
buying seeds and fertilizers. Kilimo Salama uses data from these stations to
calculate the severity of droughts - or excessive rainfall. Eligible farmers
then receive payouts via their mobile phones.
In March, it paid out US$3,135 each to more than 1,200
farmers for losses after lack of rain, and more than 1,400 farmers received
US$9,230 each in September because of prolonged droughts that caused crop
failure.
"Since its inception, the project has been a big
success," said Wairimu Muthike, project's lead field coordinator. He
added: "The number of farmers willing to protect their crop by insuring
their farm investments has increased tremendously. The sum insured among
interested farmers has also been growing."
According to Wairimu, the best indicator that the project is
succeeding is the number of larger-scale farmers it is attracting.
Finance is entirely derived from the premiums collected from
farmers, according to Rahab Wambui, a field coordinator with the project,
rather than coming from commercial or charitable sources. "This will
result in the sustainability of the programme," she said.
The project initially enrolled 9,000 farmers but the number
has increased to 21,341 this year. In 2009-2010 it targeted maize, but this
year it expanded to include wheat, beans, and sorghum.
"Many farmers find this to be an effective way of
ensuring that, when adverse effects of nature set in, they can find an
alternative source of funding in order to cultivate again," said Silas
Waweru, a farmer who has benefited from the payout.
Livestock farmers in Kenya are expected to find out about
their claims from another, satellite-based insurance scheme this month.
allafrica.com
