Only three percent of the farming community in Gwembe will benefit from the 240 packs of farming inputs received under the 2008-2009 Fertilizer Support Program (FSP) because of insufficient number.
Speaking at the flagging-off ceremony in Gwembe, District commissioner Dorothy Hamvula said Government was aware that the inputs allocated to the District were insufficient, adding that efforts were being made to source for more inputs.
“My office is aware that the inputs allocated to Gwembe will only cater for three percent of the farming community, and my office will support all efforts to source more inputs,” she said.
She observed that it was unfortunate that some co-operatives were only seen to be active at the time of input distribution.
“Unfortunately, for some co-operatives this becomes their only active , they do nothing to promote growth of their co-operatives, some of them even fail to hold Annual General Meetings” Mrs Hamvula said.
She advised the Co-operatives to develop enterprises that can provide services to the community, in order to generate more money for themselves.
She also called on the beneficiaries of the inputs to utilize the packs for the production of the staple food (maize), saying that her office would not take kindly to anyone found selling the inputs, as the program was aimed at enhancing household and subsequently national food security.
And speaking at the same occasion, District Agriculture Community Chairman Simeon Mungazi said the 240 packs of FSP inputs received in Gwembe would benefit 29 farmer co-operatives groups.
“Last year only 21 co-operatives benefited, this year 29 will benefit, but the amount of inputs received is not enough, we need at least 600 packs,” he noted.
Mr. Mungazi appealed to Government to consider scaling up the program to cover not less than 1,000 beneficiaries in the District.
He implored the farmer co-operatives to utilize the inputs to ensure increased production of maize from the current two tones per hectare, to at least five tones per hectare.
And District Co-operatives Officer Emmanuel Mulenga said it was regrettable to note that 97 percent of the farmer co-operatives would go without inputs this year.
He appealed to Government to consider scaling up the exercise to benefit at least 10 percent of households in the District, as a measure aimed at reducing the dependency on relief food.
ZANIS/MZ/ENDS/MM
Nambala 1
Nambala zwo, baby!
Mamabala namba 1 your friends have are observing the Sabbath when you are busy blogging.uzakapye kwa mulungu Numero trois
#3 is it a sin to blog on Saturday?
Only 3% of farmers to benefit and the so called DC has the courage to even go and stand before the villagers, shame. Now people should begin to regret what they did on 30/10/2008 though too late now. I guess all the villagers in eastern province have more than what they need. Kaya
why only 3%? this means more hunger in gwembe next yr,kaya indeed.give them inputs,we are so much used to to relief supplies which are much more expensive on the part of GRZ.How do we push agric forward with such %ges? anyway the national %ge is the same i guess,is it 250 to 300 pin pipo national wide are expected to benefit from FSP.This %ge is too low to foster meaningful poverty allieviation…the term we are meant to believe!!agric requires huge subsidising just like it is in the west and some asian countries like china.the numb. of pipo benefiting from FSP shud hit a million fo a start,food fo thot!
our commecial farmers shud equally be supported by letting them import agric inputs and machinery duty free for the next five yrs or so.GRZ needs to open more farming blocks across the nation blabla!!!!
“Only three percent of the farming community in Gwembe will benefit from the 240 packs of farming inputs received under the 2008-2009 Fertilizer Support Program (FSP) because of insufficient number.”
Insufficient number of recipients or insufficient quantities of the commodity? Which is which? These Norma Jean and ALC-trained journalists are letting us down, mwe Lesa. Akabwana kalabashupa abaice.
that percentage is too small,only the big fish will get shares ka.
#9 you are right that only the big fish will access the fertilizer and those who need it the most will get none and be the hungriest next year. Shame mwe
why 3% only? see all you RB supporters.see for yourselves now.Dont even complain you people in Gwembe, coz its you who voted for them you shall reap what you sow, the bible is clear over this issue mulenya kunsala.There is more to come.
GWEMBE UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu yesterday asked the MMD government to seriously sort out The Post now that the election is over, describing the newspaper as “stinking”. Contributing to the motion to adopt the report by the committee on information and broadcasting services, which was tabled before Parliament, Ntundu said now that MMD had won the presidential election, it should deal with The Post for its unfair coverage towards President Rupiah Banda. Ntundu said it would be useless for government to fail to deal with The Post when during the run-up to the just ended election; the newspaper was insulting their candidate on a daily basis.
its because they have an MP such Ntundu.Instead of him looking at ways of developing his constituency whose residents cannot even afford to buy a copy of the post nor read it due to lack of reading skills,he turns himself into an MMD advisor of media affairs
It is very suprising that Govt is taking so long to ensure that ferts reach the small scale farmers on time. why should they deliver ferts now, when it is already late. I believe in early planting and so am already through with my farming, and if all the farmers are kept waiting for this FSP, i tell you next year there will be disaster of hunger in zambia.
Even now a good number of co operatives in chief chamuka in central pro. have not yet received seed for this season but ferts is arleady in, now how do you deliver ferts in first instance instead of seed?
These people in charge of delivery of farming imputs must be serious with agriculture. Please deliver SEED first, and Ferts late
I think a lot of the issue about fertilizer, expecially for subsistence farmers, is ignorance. They can make all the fertilizer they need (most likely more than they need) on their own farms.
1) Compost
2) Green Manure crops (legumes)
3) Animal fertilizers (from dung, blood, bones or fish)
4) Vegan Fertilizer (fermenting comfrey and similar plants)
5) Crop Rotation (to make use of nutrients at different soil depths)
The last thing they should be doing starve because the government is corrupt and won’t act quickly enough.
does anyone know why Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia was closed…..
i have unconfirmed that at its full capacity, its output can almost cover the southern african region….
thats unconfirmed but i am fully aware that it can supply zambians and in good time for the farming season….
but again that is only if it is working 100%
” “My office is aware that the inputs allocated to Gwembe will only cater for three percent of the farming community, and my office will support all efforts to source more inputs,” she said. ”
She’ll never have enough money to source for enough fertilizer for all farmers. What is needed, is education, so farmers learn how to improve their soil on a larger scale. Composting, worm manure, green manure plants which fix nitrogen as small bulbs among their roots (so it doesn’t have to be bought). Go green. Compost is also extremely useful in preparing clay soil for potatos.