President Rupiah Banda has launched the National Fertiliser Distribution exercise with a call on farmers in Northern province to produce more this year.
President Banda said government was aware of the challenges in the fertilizer distribution in recent years which he said had made it difficult for many farmers throughout the country to access the commodity.
Mr. Banda also noted that some unscrupulous business persons were tricking most peasant farmers in the country to sell the commodity cheaply.
He said to prevent this; his administration has put in place measures such as formation of Camp Fertiliser Committees (CFCs) to ensure that the commodity reaches its intended beneficiaries throughout the country.
“Government has decided that fertilizer would be distributed through the Camp Fertiliser Committees instead of the District Fertiliser Committees (DFCs),” the President said.
He said government has this time around decided to incorporate religious leaders in the CFCs to help monitor and ensure that the fertilizer reaches the intended farmers.
He said this way, the church leaders would be able to ensure that there are no mal-practices in the distribution of the commodity.
“I believe this will help improve morality and distribution of fertilizer to our farmers,” he said.
Mr. Banda said the price of the commodity has been pegged at K15, 000 only saying this should encourage farmers to easily buy the commodity on top of the four packs given to farmers under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP).
He challenged the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to see to it that the commodity reached its end users who are the farmers.
And President Banda says through government’s Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP), Northern Province has recorded an increase in agriculture production saying the province became the fourth maize producer after Eastern, Central and Southern Provinces.
He said this was as a result of increased production and FSP in Northern Province. He disclosed that during the 2008/2009 farming season, government distributed 80, 000 metric tones of fertilizer to the provinces with Northern Province receiving 11,300 metric tons.
He said as a result of this, the province recorded a significant increase of maize production in the last farming season.
He ordered the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to purchase all the maize from the province.
The President informed the provincial administration that government had increased the FSP by 2.5 percent for the 2009/2010 farming season meaning that 15,900 metric tons had been given from last year’s 1193.5 metric tons.[quote]
And Northern Province Minister John Chinyanta said his administration was happy that the province had taken the centre stage of the fertilizer distribution exercise.
Mr. Chinyanta said the province was well placed to continue receiving government support which he said had helped the area to record a bumper harvest.
He said now that the province had been receiving fertilizer through the FSP, it was assuring that the province will yet again record a bumper harvest during the 2009/2010 farming season.
And Agriculture and Cooperative minister Brian Chituwo acknowledged the hard work farmers in the province were doing.
Dr Chituwo said at the same function that the province was among leading provinces that had positively contributed to the country’s bumper harvest of 1.8 million metric tons of grain.
He disclosed that to encourage further production, his ministry would procure motorbikes for extension officers to reach farmers throughout the country.
And Mr. Banda said Zambian Coffee has generated a lot of interest internationally saying 75 percent of the commodity is grown in Northern Province.
The President has since directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to engage commercial banks and ensure that money was made available for the resumption of operations of the Kasama Coffee plantation.
He also said government, through the newly formed Livestock and Fisheries ministry would soon establish livestock breeding centers beginning with the Mbesuma Ranch in Kasama.
“The Mbesuma Ranch can breed 3000 animals. Government has produced funds to ensure the purchase of the animals for the ranch,” he added.
He said Government also intends to open up other ranches at Kalungwishi and other places in the province to ensure that the country becomes well stocked with beef products for local consumption and exports
ZANIS
Nothing good is coming out of this bwezani kumbuyo Banda. May be I just hate him as an individual but it is like when ever he says or does something I hate him more. he is very disorganised and is working hard for himself to be re-elected.
This programm is as good as nonsence as history will just repeat itself with most of the commodity going to party cadres
Ive said it before that as long as FERTILIZER is used as a political weapon, our agric will never take off even after a 100 years. Let the commodity be sold like any other commodity. Things can besimplified without State House trying to show like RB is a Santa Claus giving us fertilize out of his kindness.
All you wasps insulting rupiah at every opportunity will have to acknoledge one fact that even in 2011 this man will win the election as long as he is going to stand against sata and hakainde.you are busy puking your bile on the blog yet you are failing to realise that there is no revolution in zambia that can influence change apart from propaganda in tabloids like the post.unfortunately this time around luapula province is shifting to chiluba’s side under the influence of machungwa and his rebel group who will in turn endorse rupiah.if you scumbags fail to appreciate this fact then you will be in for a rude shock.
#4 AKAPONDO. Your language is only fit for the garbage. If this the language you use in MMD, am not surprised that you are ready to accomodate one former cars(UBZ) conductor called Chiluba. In fact the subject here is not about Chiluba
DEJA VU,
Infact my posting is aimed at lame thinkers like you.mind you unlike you who is still looking at expired political players like sata to bring about change in this country.iam for prof clive chirwa and that’s a naked fact.so your branding me as MMD whatever disqualifies that.secondly unlike you i dont wallow in the idiocy of believing that currently there is a revolution in zambia.all the provinces are still behind their usual parties and all the tribes in the rural areas where people vote are still behind their tribes men.so if i point to you that in the next election luapula province will be the only battle field.am i kidding? so sit behind scratching your balls thinking change will come and you’ll cry.