Life Insurance

Agricultural insurance is one of the most difficult insurances because its risk is catastrophic, and this is why insurance companies turn away. Sudan is the biggest among Arab and African countries and rich with agricultural resources which include 2009 million feddans of fertile resources and 279 millions feddans for pastures and forests.

Because of this situation, the government pays great attention to this sector that represents the backbone of the national income before the production of oil.

The high concern of the government is manifest in the green campaign which prevails in all states, because Sudan is the food basket of the world.

In this respect the agricultural and animal affairs committee with collaboration with Sheikan Insurance and Reinsurance Company organized a symposium about agricultural insurance in Sudan, because this sector is facing a lot of risks. Sheikan presented a paper citing experiences of other countries in this respect in addition to SudanÕs experience. The paper explained that the Sudanese experience began in 1993 when a British Company conducted a conference about agricultural insurance which technically proved the possibility of applying agriculture insurance, followed by conferences, workshops, seminars and studies with the last one staged in 2006.

The paper pointed that the agricultural insurance began in Gezira Scheme in Wadi Shaeer in an area of 2200 feddans for cotton, after that the insurance covers other nine sections that include wheat.

Sheikan paper explained that the insurance coverage in addition to irrigated sector includes the rain-fed sector. The irrigated projects includes Gezira, Rahad and Al-Soki, and this year 2007 the coverage will include New Halfa scheme, Blue Nile agricultural projects in Sennar, Mechanized rain-fed farming in Al-Renk in Upper Nile State and the mechanism of rain-fed farming in Al-Damazin and Al-Gedaref.

The application of agricultural insurance started in the irrigated sector in 2002 Ð 2003 and a document was prepared for cotton insurance in Gezira and a lot of documents followed for different sectors and crops.

The paper pointed out that the government pays great concern to the agricultural sector through establishing risk control and agricultural insurance support fund which was issued according to 2003 law which aims at controlling agricultural risks, developing areas which are affected by agricultural dangers, supporting companies in the field of agricultural insurance, compensating producers, instilling solidarity between farmers and encouraging the growth of the agricultural sector.

Since the introduction of agricultural insurance, Sheikan Company coordinated with different concerned bodies which include Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Finance, Agricultural Affairs Committee, Economical Affairs Committee in the National Assembly, Agricultural Research Authority, Technology Administration, Commercial Banks, Universities, Farmers ad Producers Unions and Gezira and Al-Managil Farmers Union.

With collaboration with Sheikan, papers about risk control fund were presented in the agricultural insurance symposium by Dr. Sulieman Sid Ahmed.

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