The government says it is aware that 766 farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme(FISP) in Chikankata District are unable to access fertilisers due to the non-availability of funds in their respective accounts after they only swiped for seed.
Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo says urgent measures are being taken to resolve the problem by refunding 766 farmers.
Mr. Katambo says 13 238 farmers were targeted to benefit from FISP in Chikankata District but that officers registered over 14 000 resulting in an excess of 766 that could not benefit.
He says Government is investigating the matter and disciplinary action will be taken against the officers.
The Agriculture Minister says the District Agricultural Coordinator- DACO and his officers will be punished for activating farmers that were not supposed to benefit.
The Agriculture Minister says the action against the officers will be a lesson to other ones in the Ministry because they acted willfully.
Mr. Katambo says only one million farmers captured on the Zambia Integrated Agriculture. Management Information System ( ZIAMIS) under Smart Zambia are supposed to benefit from FISP.
This came to light during Questions For Oral Answer Session in the Fifth Session of the Twelfth Assembly in Parliament today when
UPND Chikankata MP Kabwe Mwiinga asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Government is aware that over 700 farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme in Chikankata District are unable to access fertilisers due to the non availability of funds in their respective accounts after they only swiped for seed and if so, what urgent measures are being taken to resolve the problem.
Are you okay in your head?
Am waiting for my money
Surely can you trust a face like that with announcements concerning misappropriated funds!!
Calamity government
we just need our money thank u for your good campaign
Minister of FISP. The entire Ministry has been reduced to FISP mismanagement. How can we make agriculture the mainstay of our economy in such circumstances? Have you refunded farmers in Kapiri that paid ma K400 but never received their inputs in the 2018/19 season?