The onset of the rains in Zambia has prompted the Government to sustain the distribution of the farming inputs in the country in an ongoing exercise which has reached 55% of the beneficiaries.
During the ongoing Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) exercise, the ministry of agriculture plans to meet all the targeted 1 million beneficiaries in which each one will be entitled to a pack, which constitutes six bags of fertiliser and one bag of 10 kilogram maize seed during the 2022/23 farming season.
According to a statement from the agriculture ministry and seen by FRA, Government has procured over 300,000 metric tons of fertilizer valued at over US$369 million and over 10,000 metric tons of maize seed, 12,000 metric tons of soya bean seed and over 10,000 thousand metric tons of groundnut seed,” it says citing minister Mr. Reuben Mtolo.
The collection of inputs under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP) will commence on Thursday, November 10, 2022 across the country.
All depots are expected to be opened up for all the famers to collect their inputs across the country and all eligible beneficiaries encouraged to deposit their money (K400) to access.
Additionally, each recipient will receive either one 20 kg bag of legume, namely 20 kgs of groundnuts or 25 kgs of soya beans.
“We encourage the famers to utilise the inputs for the intended purpose and avoid selling and exporting the inputs. We can assure you that monitoring measures have been put in place to ensure that the subsided farmers’ inputs are not abused,’’
Plans are underway to scrutinize and remove farmers that have benefited from the FISP programme in the past 20 years and create room for new entrants.
President Hakainde Hichilema told the 41st meeting of the African Union in Lusaka this year that the country’s resolved to be the continent’s food hub with a call for stakeholders to invest in the sector.
President Hakainde Hichilema has called for increased investment in the agricultural sector that will make Zambia not only food secure, but also meet the continental and the global food basket.
The President recognized the looming food crisis within Africa and beyond heightened by geopolitical conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine war and all affected countries would be looking to Zambia and Africa for food. Zambia is well positioned to produce the needed food.
Apart from having abundance of land and human resource, Zambia has good agronomic conditions such as fertile soils and water resources that should fully be utilised, to enhance food security on the African continent and beyond.
There is a yearning market for food across the globe and that Zambian farmers will do the country justice by enhancing productivity to maximise revenue generation. Value addition on agricultural produce is key if meaningful economic benefits are to be realised.
President Hichilema implored Minister of Water Development and Sanitation Mike Mposha, to expedite the issuance of water licenses to farmers, for increased irrigation farming.
There is no single water drop that should go to waste but should instead be utilised, to enhance agricultural produce and that those applying for water licenses at all levels should be given without any delays, he stated.
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