GOVERNMENT has released K200 billion for the crop marketing exercise through out the country.
And government has said the price of fertiliser for the 2009/2010 farming season has been pegged at K50,000 per 50 kg bag.
Agriculture and cooperatives Minister Brian Chituwo disclosed this in Isoka district in Northern Province yesterday.
Dr. Chituwo who is touring Northern Province to check on the maize marketing exercise said the government has released K200 billion through the Food Reserve Agency [FRA] to enable the agency buy maize and other crop from the farmers.
“Government has instructed FRA to buy beyond what was budgeted for the 2009 maize marketing exercise. As a government, we have sourced an extra K200 billion to purchase maize and other crops from small scale farmers across the country,” said Dr. Chituwo.
He said the funds would be available in various districts before the end of this week adding that, affected farmers should not despair.
Dr. Chituwo said Republican President Rupiah Banda has heard the cries of the small scale farmers most of whom have been unable to sale their produce to FRA due to lack of funds hence the sourcing of more funds to buy the commodity.
The agriculture Minister said the extra K200 Billion which the government has sourced would enable the agency buy an extra 110,000 metric tonnes of maize from the small scale farmers before the end of the marketing exercise.
He said that the extra maize to be bought by FRA would be sold to other regions with food deficits.
And Dr. Chituwo has disclosed that plans to amend the 1998 Cooperatives Act have reached an advanced stage.
Speaking in Isoka yesterday, Dr. Chituwo said the government was in the process of amending the 1998 Cooperatives Act so as to make it more responsive and effective in the running of the cooperative movement.
Dr. Chituwo also said the cooperative Development Policy will give a legal frame work of the cooperative movement.
The Minister has also called on the cooperative movement to engage themselves in other viable business ventures other than participating in crop marketing exercise adding that the cooperative movement should also take over the distribution of inputs as the case was in the past.
And Government has said the cost of a 50 kg bag of fertiliser for 2009/2010 under the Fertiliser Support Programme [FSP] will be K50, 000 for both D-compound and Urea.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Brian Chituwo said over 77,000 small scale farmers will benefit from over 15,000 metric tonnes of the commodity allocated to the district.
Meanwhile, small scale farmers in Nakonde and Isoka districts have commended the government for releasing more funds for the crop marketing exercise as well as for increasing the allocation of fertiliser for the 2009/2010 farming season.
ZANIS
ON: ” And government has said the price of fertiliser for the 2009/2010 farming season has been pegged at K50,000 per 50 kg bag.”
I just hope this price of fertilizer would not be used for campaigns for RB. It is surprising to see that RB is subsidizing fertilizer and not meali – meal. The cost of 50kg of fertilizer is now cheaper than the cost of 25kg of bf meali-meal(at 70 pin).
This is another failure, release money for marketing after famers resorted to suvivor skills of giving to any buyer (briefcase guys). Shame!
Heard that on QFM news a few minutes ago. What nonsense when petty cash at State house is $500 000. Mubutafye ku Zambia! What a joke of a country we live in!
Look here all you people paying tax in our country. This is less than what our president gets as petty cash! The Brits call it setting priorities right. In this case Petty Cash Chiluba Kafupi Jacob Titus Mpundu Chiluba Fredrick wins.
This GRZ is using carrot and stick in this marketing system. Believe me or not from the blues money has bin found K200Billion released to FRA . Do you where the cash came from. GRZ isseud treasury bills and that is it. I dont know why they wait for so long. What sense does it make for GRZ to subsidise price of fertilizer K50,000 per 50kg and then fail to mop up all the prodeuce. It would be better to extend the same subsidy to the manufacuring industry. This sort of only considering farming is killing other sectors. Politiking has started on new note or has taken new dimension. Wait and see ther next events.
#3, #4, Sparker Jays,
What has happened to your Mathematics? Is US$500 000 (ZMK 2.5 B) more than ZMK 200 B ?
The exchange rate of the Kwacha is some where around ZMK 5000 per US$.
Please save us from misinformation!
BA SPARKER JAYS,
EVEN WITH YRS OF BROOM PUSHING, ONE CANNOT FORGET ADDING UP FIGURES. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, ITS JUST SIMPLE MATHEMATICS.
How about those people in the rural areas who will not be able to benefit from the support programmes, at what price will they be buying the inputs. From experience the people who benefit from such are very few and there is always alot of abuse in the system as only those close to the powers that be end up getting the fertilizer. I am talking from experience, my own parents in the village have not accessed this fertilizer in the past two farming seasons despite having paid the required money of membership to associations through which the inputs are distributed. On paper it is good but practically it does not happen .
#.8 Spot on.
Our parents in village do not benefit from these programmes, but you only se MACO guys & Co-operative chairmen busy during these periods
There was nothing in FTJ saying US$500,000 was Petty Cash for State House. Lets us assume it was the imprest which was kept for an emergency. In any case if you never knew. Whenever a Head of State is traveling there is a certain amount carried for the him and his entourage in case of flight complications or any other eventuality. He does not need to call Calab Fundanga at BOZ or Dr. Situmbeko. The Presidency is the most difficult job in any country. Its actually those guys who wear suits etc around him who control his every move. Watch and learn more. Remember what RB said in Solwezi that the Prseident is most cheated person in Zambia. Learn more about Presidency and how they function and how they are equally misadvised by those who surround them.
g.r.z must just get the heck out of the way, and let a proper farm produce market develop, where a willing seller gets cash from a willing buyer (brief case guy or otherwise). NO politician or bureaucrat has the expertise or discipline to develop a free-and-open market for farm produce. only an entrepreneur business man who lives-and-dies by the bottom-line can do that. small-scale farmers are the quintessential entrepreneurs. and they ought to be playing the part.