Governor Kayitesi: Agricultural Insurance Should Be Treated Like Health Coverage

Alice Kayitesi, the Governor of Rwanda’s Southern Province, has called on farmers and livestock keepers to treat agricultural insurance with the same seriousness as health insurance, saying protection against farming risks should be part of everyday life rather than a response to disasters.

Speaking during a week-long awareness campaign across several districts of the Southern Province, Governor Kayitesi urged residents to enroll in the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), locally known as Tekana Urishingiwe Muhinzi-Mworozi, as a way of safeguarding their livelihoods from climate shocks, animal diseases, and other farming-related risks.

“We want to reach a point where a farmer understands that just as they know they must pay for health insurance, they must also insure their crops and livestock,” Kayitesi said. “No one waits for an accident before insuring a car. Farming should be viewed the same way.”

According to the Governor, the Southern Province has made notable progress in insuring agricultural production, particularly along strong value chains. Rice remains the most insured crop, followed by maize, reflecting both cultivated land size and farmer awareness.

“In the Southern Province, more than 9,000 hectares have been insured, covering crops such as rice, maize, soybeans, Irish potatoes, and cassava,” she said. “Rice takes the largest share, followed by maize.”

On livestock insurance, the province has recorded more than 73,000 insured animals, mainly cattle, with poultry numbers also steadily increasing.

For the current agricultural year, the province has achieved 75 percent of its annual insurance target, a figure expected to rise as enrollment continues through farming Seasons B and C.

Governor Kayitesi acknowledged that some farmers initially struggle to understand the benefits of agricultural insurance, but said peer learning and testimonies are gradually changing attitudes.

“There are people who do not immediately understand the program,” she said. “But when they see what their neighbors have benefited, they start to follow. That is why these awareness campaigns are important.”

She added that the ultimate goal is to normalize insurance uptake to the extent that farmers independently approach insurance companies without waiting for government-led mobilization.

“We want a future where a farmer insures their farm by default, not because there is a campaign,” she said. “Insurance brings peace of mind, even if disaster never happens.”

For Adrien Koffi Mushimimana, a livestock farmer from Ndora Sector in Gisagara District, Tekana has already proven its value.

Mushimimana rears pigs and poultry and says his project once grew to more than one hundred pigs. Having started with just five pigs, he gradually expanded before facing a major setback.

“I once lost a pig that died while giving birth,” he recalled. “Because it was insured, I was compensated one million Rwandan francs, yet I had insured it with only fifty thousand francs.”

That compensation, he said, allowed him to continue his farming activities instead of collapsing under loss.

“My advice to anyone planning a livestock project is simple,” Mushimimana added. “Think about Tekana from the very beginning. It is essential.”

Launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme is implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) through its Single Project Implementation Unit, in partnership with private insurance companies.

To make the scheme affordable, the government subsidizes 40 percent of insurance premiums for smallholder farmers.

Since its launch, NAIS has insured nearly 190,000 farmers and livestock keepers, representing about six percent of Rwanda’s farming population. The government has invested Rwf 5.95 billion in premium subsidies, while Rwf 8.19 billion has already been paid out in compensation, covering both crops and livestock losses.

The scheme insures major crops including rice, maize, potatoes, beans, soybeans, French beans, chili, and cassava, as well as livestock such as cattle, pigs, poultry, and fish.