He has no drought insurance. Most can’t afford the main commercial cover for drought, known as multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI), or are not offered it by insurers. Yet high costs, combined with low availability, mean only 20% of the country’s commercial grain farmers have drought insurance, according to the SAIA document. There are more than 7,000 commercial grain farmers, according to industry association Grain SA. Estimates of smallholders vary, and the vast majority also don’t have drought cover.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 14, 2021 04:52 UTC