By MILDRED KATONGO  –
GOVERNMENT has launched the 2015/2016 farming input distribution exercise under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP) targeting one million small-scale farmers countrywide.

. Lubinda

Agriculture and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda said that during the exercise, a total of 759,000 small-scale farmers will be supported under the conventional system with 134, 812.55 tonnes of fertiliser and 5,987.23 tonnes of maize seed.
Mr Lubinda said 241,000 small-scale farmers to be supported under the electronic voucher system to be launched by the Republican President Edgar Lungu soon, were in 13 districts.
He said more than 72,000 tonnes of D-compound fertiliser had been produced by Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) while 60,790 tonnes of Urea had been supplied and distributed to various districts.
“Government has launched the 2015/2016 FISP with a target of one million small-scale farmers, 759,00 farmers will be supported under the conventional system while 241, 000 will be under the electronic voucher system,” he said.
Mr Lubinda said that Government had incorporated more crops in the FISP this season from four to nine because of its commitment to implement the diversification policy.
He said in the quest to diversify, attention was given to food production as well as the need to improve on the nutrition and income status of farmers.
He said the average subsidy across the crops in 2015/2016 agricultural season would be 71.62 per cent compared to 66 per cent in the 2014/2015 season.
He encouraged farmers to mobilise resources for them to contribute and access the farming inputs on time.
Mr Lubinda called on the districts and provincial administration to closely monitor the implementation of the FISP.
He said agriculture extension officers should help implement the exercise by following what was stipulated in the FISP manual.
He warned that Government would not tolerate a situation where farmers where not getting their farming inputs on time despite paying for the exercise.
He said farmers were doing a commendable job by producing food for the country hence the need to supply them with farming inputs on time.
“Government will not tolerate the irregularities in the distribution of farming inputs by agriculture officers countrywide. There should be transparency in this process so that farmers receive what they pay for on time. As you implement the programmes, ensure that there are no delays in the distribution process of the inputs,” he said.