SAGICOR Life Jamaica has hailed the deal it struck with the agriculture ministry to provide life and health insurance for registered farmers and fishers.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green announced the agreement in Parliament Tuesday evening.

A symbolic signing ceremony for the plan was held on Monday at the Sagicor Life head office in New Kingston with key stakeholders, including, Willard Brown, executive vice-president, Employee Benefits Division, Sagicor Life; Floyd Green, minister of agriculture and fisheries; and Dr Gavin Bellamy, CEO of the National Fisheries Authority.

“As a company committed to improving the lives of the people in the communities in which we operate, Sagicor believes it is necessary, and tremendously important to continue to innovate and provide products that will add value to the lives of citizens,” said Brown during remarks at the ceremony.

Sagicor Agri-Care Life and Health Insurance plan is among several product innovations of the past few years from Sagicor, Brown told the ceremony. that the plan offers customised bundle of insurance products for farmers and fishers that will be better able to access and afford health care and plan adequately for the future.

In endorsing the plan, Minister Green commended Sagicor for responding to the call for this customised insurance plan for farmers and fisherfolks.

“I want to commend the Sagicor team for stepping up as a private sector partner for this collaboration and answering the call to create and make this product available to our farmers and fishers. This is in fact, the first of its kind; a programme that many of our small farmers and fishers will appreciate,” the minister said.

The minister said October last year, he conducted an all-island listening tour and on the lips of many who participated was the call for an insurance facility.

He noted that, “there is no doubt that [Sagicor] shares the Government of Jamaica’s vision about the necessity to provide financial protection for our food heroes’” adding that as they are part of the backbone of the country’s economy and the reason for our food security, it is imperative that the necessary facilities are in place to reflect their importance and value to the society.

The Sagicor Agri-Care life and health insurance plan is available to persons under the age of 75 years and are registered with the Fisheries Resource Authority and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). As a registered member, they will have the option to select from a suite of products that best fits their needs plus the flexibility to add additional benefits if needed.

Some of the benefits under the plan include — hospital care plan, primary health care, life insurance, critical illness plan, and personal accident.