The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has criticized successive governments for neglecting agricultural insurance education, a lapse he says has left farmers vulnerable and placed unnecessary financial burdens on the state.
Speaking on Adom News, the insurance expert turned legislator argued that Ghana continues to spend millions of cedis in disaster relief for farmers affected by floods, droughts, and disease outbreaks—costs that could have been absorbed by existing agricultural insurance schemes.
“Government wouldn’t have had to spend huge sums on drought relief in 2024 or on compensation for poultry and pig farmers hit by epidemics if farmers were adequately sensitized to take insurance cover,” he stressed.
Dr. Agyemang revealed that while insurance companies already operate an agricultural pool, most farmers remain unaware of its existence due to limited public education. He described the situation as a policy failure, urging government to take the lead in driving awareness, especially in cocoa-growing regions.
“Cocoa is the backbone of our economy, yet government has not shown commitment to insuring cocoa farms under the agricultural pool. If a fire disaster like the one we experienced decades ago strikes again, the consequences will be catastrophic,” he warned.
The MP further urged farmer associations to embrace agricultural insurance as a safety net but emphasized that leadership must come from government to prevent recurring crises.
“The call to insure farms must begin now. Government should lead the charge, otherwise we will continue to repeat the same cycle of disaster, loss, and costly relief,” he concluded.
