Kapiri Mposhi begins receiving inputs for 2014/2015 farming season

Kapiri Mposhi begins receiving inputs for 2014/2015 farming season

Kapiri Mposhi, June 12^th, 2014, ZANIS – Kapiri Mposhi District has started receiving farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) for the 2014/2015 farming season.

The district has so far received 3,520 x 50Kg bags of D-Compound fertilizer in readiness for distribution to small scale farmers in the area.

District Agriculture Coordinator (DACO), Benny Tembo confirmed the development to ZANIS today saying more truckloads of the commodity are expected to arrive in the district in due-course.

Mr. Tembo said the district is earmarked to receive a total of 56,530 X 50Kg bags of D-compound and 53,530 X 50Kg bags of Urea fertilizer for the 2014/2015 farming season.

He also revealed that government has increased from 23,118 to 26,765 the number of small scale farmers to benefit from FISP in the 2014/2015 farming season.

“We are receiving two trucks per day bringing in D-compound fertilizer so the amount is accumulating everyday but as at now we have received 3,520 by 50Kg bags of D-compound fertilizer,” Mr. Tembo said.

He further said 3000 farmers will benefit from the groundnut seed packs under FISP in the district in the 2014/2015 farming season.

Last season only 1000 farmers received groundnut seed packs.

Meanwhile, farmers in Kapiri Mposhi have commended government for the early flagging off of the FISP for 2014/2015 farming season.

Kapiri Mposhi District Farmers Association (DFA), Chairman, Mwansa Bwalya however said the government should ensure that the fertilizer was given to the farmers on time.

Mr. Bwalya noted that timely distribution of inputs will ensure a sustained bumper harvest as most farmers will plant their crops and apply fertilizer on time.

He called on the Ministry of Agriculture in the district to quickly ensure that the farmers’ registers were updated in order to smoothen the process of input distribution.

“We are happy that fertilizer has started arriving this early but we want to see a corresponding early distribution of the fertilizer to the farmers however government should be commended for the efforts it has made this time around,” Mr. Bwalya said.

Mr. Bwalya urged government to look into all logistical challenges such as transport and storage that may delay the distribution of inputs to the farmers.