Only 6.4 per cent of Rwanda’s estimated 3.5 million farmers are covered by crop insurance, the parliament has heard, as lawmakers raised concerns which still make its uptake lower.

The issues were raised on Tuesday, October 27 during a parliamentary session in which the lawmakers presented a report of field visits they carried out earlier.

Among the issues raised during the parliamentary assessment were complaints that some farmers had been told they needed at least five hectares to qualify for insurance, leaving those cultivating smaller plots struggling to access coverage.

"The 2020 NISR household survey showed that farmers with crop insurance were 1 per cent; we are now at 6.4 per cent (227,148 out of 3,500,000),” Agriculture Minister Telesphore Ndabamenye said during the session.

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Initially, the insurance covered maize, rice and dairy cows. It now includes Irish potatoes, seed potatoes, seed maize, cassava, soya, bush beans, climbing beans and chilli. Four additional livestock categories, bulls, pigs, poultry and fish, have also been included.

Responding to the issues related to exclusion of farmers with smaller land, the minister said the problem was reported in Rutsiro and Ngoma districts, where information provided by insurance agents differed from the agreements between the ministry, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and insurance companies.

"The problem has been resolved: farmers were put into groups and given insurance,” the minister said.

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MPs also raised concerns about insurers paying claims late and allegedly covering harvested produce without accounting for the investment farmers had made in production.

The minister, in response, said some claims had been delayed because farmers submitted documents bearing names that differed from those in their insurance agreements.

To reduce delays caused by paperwork and information exchange, the ministry has introduced a digital system under the Agriculture Management Information System (AMIS).

Uninsured crops complicate borrowing

The coverage gaps extend beyond plot size. Farmers growing crops that are not insured can struggle to obtain bank loans because lenders cannot rely on those crops as security.

The minister said bananas, fruits, beans and open-field tomatoes are among the crops that remain outside the programme, although beans and tomatoes grown in greenhouses are already covered.

The government is also seeking to strengthen oversight of insurers. The ministry is working with the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) on regulations for crop and livestock insurance, with implementation expected to begin in January 2027.