Bangladesh: move to bring 12,000 families under crop insurance coverage

The government is going to introduce the Weather Index-Based Crop Insurance (WIBCI) in Bangladesh as an adaptation tool to reduce the risk of climate variability and extreme weather vulnerability in the agriculture sector, reports Financial Express.

Under this project, some 6,000 farmers, particularly small and marginal ones who are directly dependent on agriculture, will be enrolled for the project and be sensitised through awareness seminars on climate risks and agricultural risk management techniques. The three-year project has already started working from July, 2013.

The pilot project will provide necessary weather information, data and if necessary might provide insurance coverage for adverse climate like inadequate or excess rainfall at the time of sowing or harvesting. A detailed demand and feasibility analysis will assess potential crops and weather-related perils specific to the crops.