Nakonde District Commissioner, Field Simwinga has appealed to farmers not to sell their farming inputs which they acquired under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP).

Mr Simwinga said he is aware that some farmers are selling their inputs to neigbouring countries thereby frustrating government’s efforts of boosting the agriculture sector.

“I am aware that some of you have opted to sell your inputs to Tanzanians instead of using them to boost your farming businesses,” he said.

He has also appealed to farmers to seek advice from agricultural offices such as camp officers and District Agriculture Coordinator’s office if they encounter problems with their crops or animals.

And Nakonde District Acting Agriculture Coordinator, Matthews Mulengo said so far 945 farmers from about 75 cooperatives have received their farming inputs.

Mr Mulengo has also appealed to farmers to practice crop rotation in order to improve the soil nutrients.

“You should plant a different crop in the field where you planted maize last farming season so that you can improve the nutrients of the soil,” he said.

He pointed out that government has sent farming inputs on time urging farmers to work hard and ensure that they produce a good harvest.

Mr Mulengo has also advised farmers with late maturity seed to start preparing their fields.

Nakonde District has about 11, 000 farmers benefiting from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Meanwhile, Government has officially flagged off the distribution of farming inputs to individual farmers in Luwingu District under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP).

Luwingu District Commissioner Patrick Chanda who flagged off the exercise said over 6,000 small scale farmers will benefit from the inputs distribution exercise in the district.

Mr Chanda explained that government understands the importance of delivering the inputs on time as it enables farmers to adequately plan for the farming season.

He has further commended the farmers for depositing their K400 contribution towards the exercise.

“We are happy to note that farmers have deposited their money to the Ministry of Agriculture to enable them to access the input,” he said.

The District Commissioner has advised farmers not to wait for the rains but start preparing their fields in readiness for the 2020/2021 farming season.

Meanwhile, Mr Chanda has cautioned farmers who will benefit from the programme against selling their inputs stating that those found wanting will be dealt with accordingly.

“Government is implementing this programme in order to address the challenges that you the farmers face in purchasing inputs, therefore I am warning you not to sell the inputs you are receiving” he stated

He said this when he flagged of the input distribution exercise for the 2020/2021 farming season in Luwingu yesterday.

And Luwingu District Agriculture Coordinator Aswell Lubungo said the district has received all its consignment of inputs for the forthcoming season.

“I can confirm that we are on schedule with the exercise and we advise farmers who have not yet deposited their contribution to do so in order for you to access your inputs,” he said

Mr Lubungo is confident that the early distribution of inputs will see the district record a bumper harvest which will contribute to the country’s food security.

He has further advised small scale farmers to take agriculture as a serious business as it is a major contributor to the economic growth.

And speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Lucy Chimulopwe has commended government and Neria investment for distributing the inputs on time.

“We are happy that this year you have started the exercise in good time, please continue working like this even for the years to come,” she said

Ms Chimulopwe has since expressed gratitude to government for coming up with FISP program stating that it has helped small scale farmers across the country.

She stated that the programme has helped to reduce poverty levels among small scale farmers especially in rural areas.

Construction of Mini Hospitals in the Northwestern Province is expected to commence this month.

Northwestern Province Health Director, Charles Msiska said the commitment that government made to build mini hospitals in the province is coming alive, with works expected to commence this month of October.

Dr Msiska said boreholes are going to be drilled at the agreed sites to mark the commencement of the projects.

He said this when he addressed selected traditional leaders from Northwestern Province who convened in Kasempa District over the weekend for a malaria elimination programme.

“The contractor came and assessed the land that was offered to the government. This month boreholes are going to be drilled in order to start construction,” Dr Msiska said.

He disclosed that government wants to have a health facility everywhere where there is a school.

“Every after five kilometers or where there is a school, we should have a health facility hence this infrastructure development,” Dr Msiska said.

He said 90 percent of the rural health posts allocated to the province have been constructed and handed over to the community with the remaining 10 percent expected to be completed before November, 2020.

He further disclosed that 30,000 health workers have been recruited and deployed across the country with Northwestern being among the beneficiaries.

An inferno has swept through the Provincial general stores building in Chinsali District of Muchinga Province destroying all medical items and storage facilities worth millions of kwacha.

All the vaccines, drugs and storage equipment including documents for the entire Province have been burnt and reduced to ashes.

The fire brigade teams that rushed to the scene with two fire trucks struggled to put off the fire as the only source of water was about 10 kilometers from the hospital.

The fire is believed to have started in the afternoons of yesterday around 12:00 hours leaving the entire facility completely empty.

Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Joyce Nsamba who was present at the scene has described the fire accident as a disaster.

Ms Nsamba said the situation is saddening as all the medicines, drugs vaccines and storage facilities have been gutted completely.

She said the fire accident is a huge loss to the government because it had spent huge sums of money on the procurement of drugs and vaccines that have been destroyed by fire.

The PS has since commended the Chinsali Fire Brigade for managing to put of the fire after 5 hours despite some challenges.

“I was in the field monitoring NRC mobile issuance exercise when I received a call that the general stores was on fire and I quickly rushed here. I want to thank the fire brigade for their quick and prompt response, “the PS said.

And acting Provincial Health Director Charles Chungu has expressed shock at the development.

Dr Chungu said the facility that has been burnt stores drugs and vaccines for all the nine (9) districts of Muchinga Province including equipment and documents.

“This storage facility carters for the whole province and all vaccines and drugs are kept right here for all the districts in Muchinga Province,” Dr Chungu lamented.

He said the gutting of the building including the storage facilities where all drugs and vaccines were kept under the required temperatures is a big loss to the Districts, Province and the Ministry of Health.

Dr Chungu said the cause of the fire is not yet known adding that there was no electricity due to maintenance works by ZESCO but that the facility was powered using a gen-set.

Meanwhile, Muchinga Province Police Commissioner Joel Njase who was also present at the scene said the fire accident is unfortunate.

Engineer Njase said the Police through the forensics experts in the service will do its part in ascertaining the cause of the fire within the shortest possible time.

He has since warned that should it be found that the fire was started on purpose by an individual, the law will take its cause without fear or favour.

“We will get to the bottom of this and if we discover that someone was behind this the law will visit them accordingly,” he warned.

Chinsali residents including health workers and patients from their hospital beds rushed out watch as the storage facility was burning down to ashes.

The general storage facility building was built in 2011with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).