Farmers’ input distribution agents have been directed to remain open during the festive season to help catch up with the lost time and ensure all beneficiaries have access to the commodity and avoid delays during the planting season, says President Hakainde Hichilema.
Preparations for next year’s farming season has been characterized by various challenges including delayed distribution of fertilizer and seed to over 1,000,000 small holder farmers following concerns of corrupt tendencies in the distribution channels of some of the inputs with some players fearing a reduced output of the crops-maize-soya-beans and other cash crops.
President Hichilema has directed that all farming input sheds in the country remain open throughout the festive season to facilitate the completion of input distribution and ultimately ensure farmers have access to the resources they need to continue their work, even during the holidays.
Itss important to keeping farming activities going and warned detractors against frustrating the process to allow all players secure the fertilizer and other inputs, the President is cited by state-owned news agency-ZANIS as saying in Choma in Southern Zambia where he witnessed the progress made on the delivery of inputs within and surrounding areas in the Southern province.
The President assured farmers countrywide that such delays would be overcome and not recur in the 2023/24 farming season as it will allow ample time to make deliveries for various input and help to prepare their fields.
The President directed all Provincial administrations to ensure the exercise is undertaken smoothly to improve service delivery. In recent weeks, Zambia’s farming season has faced a myriad of distribution problems with various political and economic players lamenting the delayed distribution of the inputs-raising fears of poor output of the crops, chiefly maize-the country’s staple food.
Opposition Party of National Unity and Progress President Highvie Hamududu has told the Government to quickly involve members of the defense forces in the distribution of the delayed farmer input for the 2022/2023 farming season.
The delay in the distribution of farming inputs under the farmer input support program (FISP) is such a disaster that must not be repeated. He suggested the defence and security wings undertake the distribution and hasten the process in resolving the fertilizer input support programme challenges faced during the season.
Mr. Hamududu has since called for better alternatives to the current failing agricultural policies and support mechanisms.
“Expedite input distribution to farmers. The delay in the distribution of farming inputs under the farmer input support program (FISP) is such a disaster that must not be repeated in future, and even at this late hour, let government summon its best mechanisms available to expedite the process, get the men and women in uniform to help out if the normal government systems are overwhelmed by the crisis,” Mr. Hamududu said.
“As a country we are losing so many opportunities to leverage our agricultural potential to fight unemployment, poverty and inequalities in a more precise and impactful manner. Going forward, we need a big conversation on the current agricultural policies and support mechanisms. There are definitely better alternatives,” he said.
Chama North Member of Parliament Yotam Mtayachalo has described the distribution of farming inputs under the 2022/2023 farming season a national disaster. Many parts of the constituency in Eastern Zambia and beyond, he contended, had faced input distribution problems after the Government sought to replace old beneficiaries with people that had just formed cooperatives.
“The distribution of farming inputs in Chama district in eastern province and possibly the nation at large can best be described as a national disaster because although some farming inputs have been delivered nevertheless farmers have not yet started accessing their inputs despite meeting the K400 (US$64) contribution due for accessing inputs.
He further attributed technical glitches to have contributed to the delayed delivery of inputs; an argument the ministry of agriculture admitted but promised to resolve to ensure the season was not affected.
But President Hichilema attributes the delay in the distribution of farm inputs for the 2022-2023 farming season to alleged corrupt tendencies in the application of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) system that was marred with corrupt tendencies by some officials and needed a clean-up.
“The tender process was delayed, we take responsibility for that but we love you, we are your fellow farmers, we will make sure that we do our best.:”
