Companies in the food, beverage and agriculture sectors are facing a more challenging operating environment this year as concerns over food safety, supply chain disruptions and rising costs intensify.
Howden Re has appointed Mr David Song as Managing Director, Head of Retrocession, Greater China, effective October once his contractual obligations to his previous employer have been fulfilled; Mr Mike Xin as Managing Director, Head of Agriculture, APAC, effective 13 July; and Mr Zhu Houqin as Managing Director, Head of China Treaty.
In May 2026, successive low-pressure systems brought destructive flooding, landslides and damaging winds to large parts of South Africa, and caused fatalities, widespread damage to buildings and major infrastructure disruption across long stretches of coastline and interior provinces.
In May 2026, southern and central China experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall, which triggered widespread flooding, and caused multiple fatalities and displacement of tens of thousands of people. Several provinces also grappled with significant disruption to infrastructure, agriculture and supply chains.
The state-owned Caisse Nationale de Mutualite Agricole (CNMA, National Agricultural Mutual Fund) has posted positive financial results for 2025, with an improvement in the performance of its various insurance branches.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has announced that the Government has initiated amendments to the Insurance Act to establish agricultural insurance as a standalone class of insurance business.
3IF Ventures (the Fund), the first impact venture capital fund dedicated to Africa's insurance start-up ecosystem, has announced the First Close of the Inclusive Insurance Investment Fund (3IF Ventures) at $12m.
CASH Assurances will launch agriculture insurance plans in June 2026, as part of its diversification strategy.
The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) has launched a subsidised insurance scheme for greenhouse agriculture. It aims to protect farmers against climate-related catastrophes and attract investments.
The SEADRIF Insurance Company and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have launched an impact-based disaster risk insurance policy in Laos. In a press release by WFP, the policy provides pre-arranged financing of up to $1.1m to support communities affected by extreme weather and other natural hazards, complementing the government's existing sovereign policy, which provides financial protection for national disaster response efforts.