Police in Mkushi district along with the District Commissioner quelled a protest from angry farmers who demanded for speedy distribution of Urea fertilizer.
Mkushi District Commissioner Jonathan Kapungwe said that the incident occurred at the government complex where the offices of DC as well as District Agriculture Coordinating Officer(DACO) are located.
Mr. Kapungwe explained that the irate farmers besieged the offices as they were following up on the issue of delayed distribution of Urea fertilizer from the 2022—2023 FISP(Farmer Input Support Program) exercise.
The District Commissioner described the farmers as being aggressive, and that quick intervention by the police whom he had brought into the fray helped quell the situation with the farmers.
In addressing the farmers, Mr. Kapungwe directed that the task of redeeming the farmers for collecting the fertilizer, should be transferred from the current contracted agency to the DACO’s office.
One of the farmers, Novix Chipabila of Musakamba agricultural camp, narrated that the farmers were pacified by the direct address in which the DC assured that the process would be quickened by involving the office of the DACO .
Mr. Chipabila said that the District Commissioner’s address and presence of Police officers, cooled the mood of the farmers.
He maintained that the mood had been precipitated by apprehension as the maize crop had now reached above knee level, saying that further delays in Urea distribution could lead to low harvest.
He said that the anger from the farmers had been mounting over the past few weeks, adding that the anger is directed towards the suppliers involved in the distribution of this fertilizer.
Meanwhile Mkushi’s Acting District Agricultural Coordinating Officer(DACO) Ackim Milimo told ZANIS that the District has 2, 415 by 50kg bags of FISP D-compound allocation.
Mr. Milimo said that a similar quantity of Urea fertilizer is expected to arrive soon, to complete the 4,830 bags of fertilisers that have been allocated to this District for the 2022/2023 farming season.
He said that 16,101 farmers have been earmarked to benefit from the FISP exercise, drawn from all the 35 agricultural camps that are spread out in the 7 agricultural blocks.
He further said that the FISP allocation also includes 161 metric tonnes of maize seed from which each beneficiary will receive a 10kg bag of maize seed.
Mr. Milimo said that farmers would also be given option for legume seed as the District has been allocated 161 metric tonnes of soya bean seed, together with a similar quantity of ground nut seed.
The people are beginning to uprise against the failing incompetent tribal government. It has only been a year and few months of their rule haha they are now shouting bring back ecl.
You constipated upnd voters, how does it feel to go to sleep without electricity and wake up in darkness? Here I am enjoying my powerful generator. You thought you were punishing us in pf by voting in crooks like hh but it’s you suffering hahahaha. Hh said that he will end loadsheading within a year of assuming power. That f00I is the biggest liar. Let him resign. I submit
Zambia will experience Food Insecurities this year. I have been farming for 9 years, so were my late parents who were commercial farmers for 25 yrs after retiring from their professions. For the first time I had to import agriculture inputs from Tanzania and Malawi as time is running out. Our president refuses to accepts that mistakes have been made. But he keeps telling lies, blaming the past regime, throwing his ministers under the bus. This is a product of the $50m Fertilizer Corruption deal which has gone from sour to poison. And the president is commercial farmer who should understand farming seasons.
All this unnecessary commotion could have been avoided if this trial and error Government did the right thing.
8 bags of fertilizer per farmer was an illusion.
K250 price of fertilizer per bag was an illusion.
Timely distribution of farming input to farmers was an illusion.
Then the president now boasts of savings out of farmers frustration.
Lies lies lies.
Mythomania and pseudologia fantastica, is the chronic behavior of compulsive or habitual lying. Unlike telling the occasional white lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or getting in trouble, a pathological liar seems to lie for no apparent reason.
SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LIE THROUGH AND THROUGH?
How come farmers from Southern province are the only not complaining? Did they receive inputs much earlier? And double the amount?
And how come there are no Boers among the protestors? I thought they settled there?
And during campaigns HH went to Mkushi and lied about farm inputs and he blatantly lied to them that he owns airplane..and now i think he has forgotten that there’s a place called Mkushi…when it’s time for campaigns he will remember Mkushi…USELESS POLITICIANS THEY JUST FIGHT TO BETTER THEIR OWN LIVES AND THOSE CLOSE TO THEM….no wonder his Minions are buying Toyota Hilux’s for their wives…HH IS A FAILED PROJECT FOR ZAMBIA
Please please dont confuse commerical farmers with subsistence farmers…a commerical farmer does not queue for inputs or have time to sit on their hands waiting for them and rarely grows maize for sale but for stock feed because its an absolutely lossmaking crop the moment you buy the seeds you are in the red.
Zambia needs to diversify from maize its a very political issue because the whole supply chain is corrupt favouring the elite and ruling party of the day.
Look at our brothers and sisters in West Africa…they have Yam, Cassava, Plantain, Rice even Fufu: this West African staple (also known as foofoo, ugali, nsima, posho, and many other names) is an example of diversification it too resembles a fluffy dough ball like our nshima but its made from ingredients like pounded yam, sweet potato, cassava, taro, or maize.
Why cant todays Politicans wake up and step up to fire start this revolution in our diet…crying about the same loss making unnutrious crop for decades.
Wake up from this docility and guliiblity Zambians!!