By INEWS
Copyright inewsguyana
Just two months after the launch of the crop insurance mechanism, 69.4 per cent of Guyana’s rice farmers have successfully registered, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced Tuesday during a press conference at his Georgetown office.
The initiative, which was finalised after three years of global negotiations, secured funding to provide free climate-risk insurance for over 6,000 rice farmers over the next three years.
Through this support mechanism, rice farmers will pay no premiums, offering unprecedented protection against weather-related losses.
“We were able to successfully negotiate crop insurance for rice farmers. Today, 69.4 per cent of our farmers are successfully registered,” President Ali stated.
Guyana is the first country in the Caribbean region to roll out such a comprehensive crop-insurance initiative. It is a critical step in protecting rice farmers’ livelihoods and strengthening food security in the face of climate change.
President Ali further announced that 10 new weather stations are expected to be installed by mid-October to improve forecasting and farm-level planning for farmers.
Many agricultural tools and other inputs have also been provided to assist farmers in boosting crop production.
Additionally, $3.6 billion was provided in merchandiser paddy assistance.
