The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has expanded its crop insurance programmes to provide farmers with greater protection against natural disasters and climate-related risks, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.

The insurance schemes cover a wide range of cultivations, with priority given to key plantation crops including cinnamon, rubber, banana, tea and coconut. Separate insurance coverage has also been introduced for seed paddy farms.

The Ministry said the schemes are available at concessionary premium rates, enabling farmers to safeguard their livelihoods against unexpected losses caused by adverse weather conditions and other natural disasters.

The programme has been initiated amid increasing concerns over the impact of climate change and extreme weather events on the agriculture sector. Frequent droughts and periods of heavy rainfall continue to pose significant challenges to agricultural production across the country, the Ministry stated.

Meanwhile, environmental experts have also cautioned that the prevailing El Niño conditions could heighten risks to farming activities, potentially affecting crop yields and productivity.

Farmers seeking further information on the available insurance schemes have been requested to contact the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board through its head office, any of its 30 district offices island-wide or via the dedicated hotline 1918.