Nearly 300 dairy farmers to be insured for the first time in Fiji

Close to 300 dairy farmers will be protected by insurance for the first time in Fiji after the launch of a bundled micro-insurance scheme today.

The Fiji Co‑operative Dairy Company Limited, FijiCare Limited and UN Capital Development Fund’s Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme had formed a partnership to provide insurance for the farmers and to sign them up for the micro-insurance scheme.

FijiCare Managing Director Peter McPherson says they know that farming is essential to the country, its economy and that dairy farmers face a number of risks in their day to day activities.

He adds these risks can affect them personally, their property and their cattle adding that the micro-insurance is a good step forward.

The micro-insurance includes term life, funeral expenses, fire insurance on the house and household property of the farmers and personal accident coverage.

This insurance results from the findings of a field research undertaken in October last year on a sample group of dairy farmers. 

Last year microinsurance was provided for 12,500 sugarcane farmers and they will soon be providing insurance to copra and rice farmers.