The government has launched a farmer insurance program to help farmers avoid losses from their agricultural activities, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said in Ciamis, West Java on Monday.

“This is historic because this is the country's first farmer insurance program. We have prepared the insurance for cows and agricultural fields to prevent farmers suffering losses if their fields are affected by floods or pests,” said Amran during the launch of the insurance program.

The farmer insurance, managed by PT Asuransi Jasa Indonesia (Jasindo), was part of the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of farmers, said Amran, adding that it would also help increase the production of the agriculture sector.

State-owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno said the farmer insurance was part of several government programs aimed at improving farmers’ welfare, and involved three ministries: the Agriculture Ministry, the State-owned Enterprises Ministry and the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry.

Rini said the other programs included farmer cards that helped farmers obtain subsidized fertilizers, seeds and pesticide and the farmer entrepreneurship program.

The entrepreneurship program, which involved several state-owned enterprises, had been introduced in Ciamis for 14 farmer groups, she said, adding that a similar program would also be introduced in nine other regencies in West Java.

“Through the program, farmers will not only rely on their agricultural products, but are expected to earn money from other businesses as well,” she said as reported by Antara. (bbn)