Civil Society for Poverty Reduction-CSPR in Southern Province has received recent announcement by government stance to increase the number of beneficiaries under the Farmer Input Support Program-FISP for 2011/2012 farming season from 891,500 to 914,690 beneficiaries with serious exceptions.
Southern Province CSPR Chairperson Bright Jalila told Lusakatimes reporter in an interview yesterday saying government should have considered concerns raised by stakeholders before embarking on the increase.
“Whereas the government of the Republic of Zambia under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has made considerable efforts to come up with poverty reduction programs such as the Fertilizer Input Support Program to enable farmers have access to fertilizer and seed. The program has proved ineffective”,Jalila said.
“CSPR took a study designed to generate information and offer analysis of the implementation and recommendation for improving the impact of the program on food security and poverty reduction among others but we regret that our government has continued to give a deaf ear and we wonder what sought of government we have that which cannot listern to the concerns that affect our farmers”, he added.
“The research revealed that belonging to a cooperative was the overriding requirement for farmers to access the inputs;however some vulnerable farmers had challenges in raising the upfront required by the cooperatives.Respondents raised alot of major concerns on late delivery of the inputs and inadequacy of the quantities supplied. The study noted that no farmer had graduated from the FISP in all the cooperatives of both Monze and Mazabuka districts”, said Jalila.
And after the research, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction-CSP made some recommendations to the government including the call on the government to put in place mechanisms to ensure that inputs are delivered on time.
“There is need for the FISP to include the aspect of vulnerable but viable farmers as one of eligibility criteria for beneficiaries because at the moment those with capacity to buy inputs at market price are benefiting.There should be more sensitization on graduation from FISP and a clear cut strategy on weaning off farmers from the program”,said Jalila.
Trouble is that most NGOs have been infiltrated by PF, rendering them and their credibility null and void. Can someone explain to me the relationship between “late delivery of inputs” and the “FISP increment unrealistic”.
Mr Jalila what was the rationale of your study?It sounds vague.How did you identify the farmers you are claiming they should not benefit?What was the criteria?And how much is the average membership fee to join a cooperative for you to claim that its too expensive?Mr Jalila you should know that farmer subisidies in Sub Sahara Africa are among if not the lowest in the world.Production is way below the actual potential partly because of low subsidies.Fertiliser use is also lowest compared to say Asia.Get facts right Mr.
Katie, you are misplaced or msy be read the aticle again. The isue is how does the government increase FISP by reducing the number of input the existing beneficiaries receive? Please learn to comment on what you understand dont just be MMD for nothing. 20HH young Obama