Insurance company staff send insurance policies to major agriculture farmers in Gangkou Town. [Photo by Huang Qiyan]

Chen Jianhong, a major agriculture farmer in Gangkou Town, received an application form on December 16. With less than 7,000 yuan, Chen Jianhong bought low temperature disaster insurance for his 109 mu (about 7.27 hectares) of winter greenhouse giant river prawns.

Zhongshan will first pilot the policy-based aquaculture insurance in Gangkou, Shenwan, Minzhong and Dongsheng towns. In case of low temperature and severe weather within a breeding cycle, Chen Jianhong will receive a corresponding insurance compensation.

The city takes the lead in Guangdong in incorporating three kinds of weather disasters into this policy-based agricultural insurance. With the relevant certification documents from the municipal meteorological bureau, the insured aquaculture farmers who are affected by strong wind, rainstorm and low temperature can receive an insurance compensation within 3 working days without on-site survey.

Specifically, the minimum meteorological indicators for compensation are: maximum wind speed of strong wind reaches level 10 (24.5-28.4 m/s) or above; daily rainfall of 180mm or more;  average of the minimum daily temperature for 3 consecutive days reaches 5℃ or below.

According to the pilot implementation plan, the insurance covers 11 species in 3 categories (fish, crustaceans and turtles), including four major Chinese carps, crisped grass carp, whiteleg shrimp, winter greenhouse giant river prawn, snakehead and soft-shelled turtle.