Zimba farmers receive agro inputs

Zimba farmers receive agro inputs

Zimba Feb 4/15, ZANIS———-The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Zimba has received and dispatched all farming inputs under the Famer Input Support Program (FISP) for the 2014/2015 farming season.

District Marketing and Cooperatives Officer, Hellen Nalungwe, confirmed to ZANIS today that all farming inputs have been dispatched to the respective agricultural co-operatives with 459 co-operatives in the district benefiting.

Ms Nalungwe said the FISP program has been running smoothly despite delay by farmers to collect their inputs owing to the delayed payments by the Food Reserve Agency for the maize the farmers supplied to the agency during the 2013/2014 agricultural marketing season.

She explained that farmers could not deposit money for their inputs as FRA did not pay them in time.

However, Ms Nalungwe confirmed that all farmers have since been paid their dues by the Food Reserve Agency.

And District Agricultural Committee (DAC) Chairperson, Ozias Siakasaca, also confirmed to ZANIS that all farmers had received their payments from the FRA.

Mr Siakasasa also confirmed that all the 459 agriculture cooperatives in the district had received their farming inputs for the 2014/2015 farming season under FISP.

Ms Nalungwe said her office under the FISP received 15,450 by 50kg bags of compound D Compound fertilizer and 14, 338 by 50kg bags of Urea and that all have been dispatched to the respective farmers.

She added that the district also received 6,895 by 10kg bags of maize seed and 548 by 5kg bags of sorghum and that all have been dispatched.

Meanwhile, Zimba Ward Councillor, Lazarous Sikawaala, has appealed to the Food Reserve Agency to be paying farmers in time.

Mr Sikawaala said delay in paying the farmers has negatively affected them in preparing for the farming season.

He added that government should look into the plight of farmers by insuring that they get their monies in time.