Milupi disputes projected bumper harvest after surveillance

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Opposition Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi
Opposition Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi

Opposition Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi says his latest surveillance in some parts of the country indicates that the bumper harvest government has projected for the 2014-2015 farming season will not be attainable.

Government has projected a maize bumper harvest of over 3, 350, 671 metric tonnes.

Mr. Milupi has told Qfm news in an interview that his observation in places like Southern, Central and Copperbelt provinces shows that there is no sign of a bumper harvest.

He says such poor harvest among some small scale farmers is attributed to delayed distribution of farming inputs such as fertilizer.

Mr Milupi says he has also seen in areas such as Kalabo, Sesheke and Shangombo Districts that there has actually been crop failure.

But Agriculture and Livestock Minister Wilbur Simuusa has maintained that the country will attain the projected bumper harvest.

In a separate interview with Qfm News, Mr. Simuusa states that this is especially that even other independent surveys have also projected a bumper harvest for the 2014-2015 farming season.

Mr. Simuusa says government is however aware that some areas in the country such Zimba District in Southern province, Katete District in Eastern province and some parts of Central province have had their harvest affected due to other factors such as rainfall patterns.

He says despite these pockets of poor harvest recorded in some parts of the country government is still convinced that the net maize production is a bumper harvest.

QFM NEWS

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