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By Annonciata Byukusenge
Farmers and livestock keepers who have insured their crops and animals under the TEKANA “Urishingiwe Muhinzi Mworozi” program say it has helped them avoid heavy losses caused by natural disasters. Through the scheme, they were compensated for animals that died and crops destroyed by floods and other climate-related hazards.
Mukansanga Marie Louise, a member of a maize seed production cooperative in Kamonyi District, says that before crop insurance was introduced, farmers regularly suffered serious losses due to flooding.
“Our farms are located in the Rwabashyashya marshland. In 2017, we experienced huge losses because of hailstorms. Our maize was badly damaged, and we harvested only 70 tons instead of the usual 180 tons.”
She added that when the TEKANA program was launched in 2019, they joined immediately because of the repeated losses they had suffered over the years.
“We started by insuring 20 hectares. In 2020, as our capacity improved, we insured 30 hectares, and in 2022 we added another 10. Today, all 60 hectares where we grow maize are fully insured,” she said.
Mukansanga also recalled that in 2023, floods destroyed maize crops on about 30 hectares of their land.
“Because we had insurance, that’s when we truly saw the value of insuring crops. We informed the insurance company about the flood damage. After conducting an assessment, they compensated us with 32 million Rwandan francs. I encourage all farmers and livestock keepers to join TEKANA because I am living proof that it pays for losses caused by natural disasters.”
The Mayor of Kamonyi District, Dr. Nahayo Slyver, said that those who have already benefited from insurance are the strongest awareness for the program.
“Farmers and livestock keepers who were compensated after being affected by various disasters now help us mobilize others. They share their real experiences and explain how insurance companies compensated them. It’s a positive step, and we are seeing encouraging results.”
Commenting on the still-low participation rate, the Mayor noted that limited awareness and misconceptions among some farmers and livestock keepers remain a challenge. However, the district continues outreach efforts in collaboration with those who have already joined the TEKANA program.
In Kamonyi District, insurance coverage has reached 46.6% of cows, 100% of poultry, 100% of maize, 80% of pigs, while 330 hectares of rice fields have been insured out of the 760 hectares the district aims to cover.
Museruka Joseph, the TEKANA Project Manager at RAB-SPIU, said misinformation is still a major issue among some farmers and livestock keepers.
“Some people claim that TEKANA does not compensate losses, but in many cases, the damage results from negligence by the livestock owner, which is not covered. Since 2019, TEKANA has paid out more than 8 billion Rwandan francs in compensation to farmers and livestock keepers.”
TEKANA is a government program under the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and is implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB).
