Dar es Salaam. Three companies have entered into partnership through which they will provide crop insurance.
This comes at a time when Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (Tira) data shows that drought-related economic losses currently stand at $140 million (about Sh320 billion) annually.
Fertiliser manufacturer Yara Tanzania, Jubilee Insurance and Equity Bank Tanzania have partnered to offer crop insurance coverage and help farmers to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The new initiative is a shot in the arm for agriculture, which is currently virtually uninsured in Tanzania.
Tira’s market performance report indicates that agricultural insurance sales were Sh1.3 billion in 2021, equivalent to just 0.17 percent of all general insurance sales.
Addressing the media in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Yara Tanzania managing director Winstone Odhiambo said the new initiative would play a key role in making farming in Tanzania more stable and profitable.
“Offering crop insurance in the country is a huge milestone for us as we seek to empower hard-working farmers and secure livelihoods and food security,” he said.
He added that farmers would now be able to access insurance coverage through the AfricaConnect digital platform, which is a one-stop solution offering access to funding, high quality fertiliser, extension services and a readily available market for their produce.
Mr Odhiambo said the platform, which was launched in 2022 to cater for rice growers and has since enrolled about 83,000 farmers, would now incorporate more crops, making them qualify for insurance coverage.
“We are happy to announce today that in addition to rice growers, Africaconnect will in 2023 also enlist maize, coffee, potato and sunflower growers. We urge all eligible farmers to enrol and benefit from the wide variety of services on offer.”
Jubilee Insurance is the latest partner to join the initiative that provides tailor-made solutions aimed at increasing farmers’ productivity. Other Africaconnect partners are Equity Bank, Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Seed Agency (ASA) and Murzah Wilmar Rice Millers Limited.
Jubilee Allianz General Insurance Company chief executive and director Dipankar Acharya said the firm was pleased to help shield farmers from losses occasioned by natural calamities by offering them crop insurance and better management of the risk exposures they were facing.
“We anticipate that farmers will now go about their activities with greater confidence as a result of this,” he said.
Equity Bank Tanzania managing director Isabela Maganga said since the launch of the digital platform in 2022, the bank has been issuing loans for farming inputs on a collateral-free basis.
The lender issued Sh14 billion in loans to about 4,600 farmers through Africaconnect in Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Morogoro, Arusha, Manyara and Iringa regions in 2022.
“We look forward to serving more farmers this year as Yara extends the service to cover more crops,” Ms Maganga said.
Agriculture comprises about 30 percent of Equity Bank Tanzania’s loan portfolio.
Yara digital solutions manager for Tanzania and Rwanda Deodath Mtei said the company believed that connecting farmers with key stakeholders would boost returns and productivity.
“Farmers linked with AfricaConnect farmers enjoy value that is only available through the platform. This includes expert knowledge, inputs and markets,” he said.
The platform will target over 300,000 farmers in 2023 with its unique partnership that provides a one-stop solution to farmers’ critical needs.
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
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“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
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