Audience with the Poso Regent for the Cocoa Insurance Program at Poso Regency
Poso, 6 November 2025 – The GIZ AgriCRF project held an audience with dr. Verna Gladies Merry Inkiriwang, Poso Regent, along with Mustafa A. Tohan, SP., MP., the Department of Agriculture Chief of Poso Regency. The representative of GIZ AgriCRF and Blue Marble Microinsurance delivers an update on the cocoa insurance pilot program 2024 – 2025, and the development of the cocoa insurance program roadmap in Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi.
Cocoa is one of the primary commodities produced by Poso Regency, as it is a ‘Primadonna’ agricultural product amongst the communities. With a significant increase in cocoa prices in recent years, it has re-energized cocoa farmers to manage the plantations effectively. However, a significant threat remains, such as the impact of climate change and extreme weather patterns, which leads to a need for protecting cocoa farmers’ investments on their plantations. Hence, the cocoa insurance program was initiated.
The GIZ AgriCRF project, which was initiated in 2023, has initiatives for the development of climate risk financing products or services. One of the projects is a parametric-based climate change index insurance for cocoa farmers, implemented by the Blue Marble Microinsurance in collaboration with Zurich Syariah Insurance. Within the first year of implementation from 2024 to 2025, the pilot insurance program has provided access to insurance premiums by Zurich Syariah for 1,505 cocoa farmers facilitated by JBCocoa and ofi in Poso Regency and Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi. According to Blue Marble Microinsurance, 775 cocoa farms experienced excessive rainfall from May to August 2024; hence, they have been provided with an insurance payment, with 275 farmers in Poso receiving an insurance payment.
Moreover, the development of the cocoa insurance roadmap in Poso Regency plans to synergize with the government’s Cultivation Registration Certificate (STDB). To support the implementation of STDB, the project proposed a collaboration with the Poso’s regional governments through the Department of Agriculture and Insuresilience Solution Fund (ISF) for a joint subsidies program for cocoa farmers who had registered for the STDB in the future.
The regent welcomes the progress of the cocoa insurance program in Poso Regency. She emphasized the need for scaling the program to reach the Poso Governments’ target development groups. “The Cocoa Insurance Program, which has already been well-implemented by the GIZ AgriCRF project and its partners, MARS, JBCocoa, and ofi, is expected to further develop to target cocoa farmers who are within the ‘pre-prosperous’ category, aligning the development goals of Poso Regency,” said the Poso Regent
(M.Nursholiqin/GIZ AgriCRF/2025)