The Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ) organized “Usapang Sakahan” media forum on January 16, 2018 in Quezon City, with the topic: “Crop Insurance as an Agri-Fishery Risk Management Solution:  Constraints and Opportunities.”

The forum was attended by print, broadcast and social media practitioners from private and public sectors covering agriculture, fishery, environment and agrarian reform, while Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) President Jovy Bernabe served as the main resource speaker.

President Bernabe announced that PCIC is targeting a bigger P65 Billion insurance cover for some 2 Million farmers and fisherfolk for year 2018, up by a huge 30% from the 2017’s insurance coverage of P50.032 Billion and a 32% jump in the number of beneficiaries from last year’s 1.52 Million farmers and fisherfolk.

The 2018 target is the biggest ever insurance coverage and highest number of beneficiaries in history of the Corporation that would make crop insurance program of the government more relevant in the face of severe climate change calamities like droughts and strong typhoons.