Over 22,000 peasant farmers across the country will benefit from the K 10 billion fertilizer loan facility to be administered by the Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO).
National Association for Peasant and Small Scale Farmers President, Rodger Phiri disclosed this to ZANIS soon after launching the new Munda Livestock Restocking Programme in Mazabuka’s Dumba area today.
Mr Phiri said last farming season, his organisation gave out fertilizer loans to only 3,300 farmers.
He said the loan facility has received overwhelming response from farmers because of the attractive and flexible conditions being offered by the association.
Mr Phiri said the input loan facility will supplement government efforts by providing fertilizer loan to farmers who may not be able to access fertilizer under the government sponsored fertilizer support programme.
He said among the conditions, beneficiary farmers are required to pay half the amount for the inputs required through ZANACO.
He also revealed that the European Union has shown interest to support the organisation for initiating programmes that are tailored at reducing poverty by providing good income and food among small-scale farmers.
He said the cattle restocking programme whose objective is to revive the cattle industry which has been decimated by the notorious corridor disease has now been extended to 35 districts
And Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba has commended the association for supplementing government efforts in reviving the livestock industry which has been affected due to livestock diseases.
Mr Hamaamba said the restocking programme will help improve farming as farmers will now use cattle for draft power instead of using hands to cultivate their fields.
He however urged the association to relax the conditions attached for beneficiary farmers to obtain cattle.
Five farmers benefited from the cattle restocking programme yesterday.
ENDS/HC/AM/ZANIS
campaign strategy, we know them
Why wasn’t this announced as early as June, 2008. People need time to plan their hectrage and mobilise resources. Fetriliser alone does not amount to farming, plan well and think like developing people. This is more political than real.
People get those fertilizers..and vote for change..MMD is cheating again with fake promises..
This is great for our country.
We need fertilizers to be affodable to our farmers.
This country needs to expand farming.
Campaign Money
Good. Now, make those loans accessible to everyone and not just MMD supporters
coruption
IMWE ESTHER PHIRI HAS DONE IT AGAIN….VIVA ZAMBIA
THANK YOU ESTER.
has Ester won the fight guys?
What is the policy of the UPND and HH on immmigrants like Zimbabweans flocking into Zambia and other foreigners?
What is HH’s take on our policemen working together with the immigration department officers to search and deport foreigners without papers that allow them to be in Zambia legally?
Please, the UPND we need to know this data as soon as possible for we have 26 days before the elections.
Its interesting to see so many things happening just before the elections. Someone needs to keep records of all these. Its sounds too good to be true. If all the happenings are anything to go by, Zambians have reached the promised land.
Solwezi Citizen empowerment Fund Mazabuka Fertilizer Loans, what a coincidence all these places RB will be there. RB dnt waste your time that is the UPND strong hold. VIVA PF VIVA Kavindele 2016
only sata for president this two years Reamaning.
October 30 projected results…RB and HH will share votes in Western province and a bit of Northwestern. HH will as usual get the Southern province votes and RB will do the same in Eastern province. And then SATA will as usual get landslides in Lusaka, Copperbelt, Luapula, Northern, Central and a bit of Northwestern. Zambians just get ready for a SATA Presidency!!!
By the way, hope you are aware that Copperbelt, Northern, Lusaka, Southern and Eastern provinces have the highest number of registered voters. Western, Central, Luapula and Northwestern figures have always been low. SATA has voters in three of the five major provinces as well as votes in two of the four remaining provinces with low registration figures. Hope you know what that means…I am not PF but lets brace ourselves for any eventuality especially the SATA Presidency!!!
The UPND’s HH Campaign Theme Song
Chorus
[Beat and Rhythm: Nddi Nddi …. (Mixed with) ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ….]
Chinochaka pakuvota tusale kateke wamano
Hakainde Hichilema, ewo tusale bane
Chinochaka pakuvota tusale kateke wamano
Hakainde Hichilema, ewo tusale bane
#1 you are right, are you a mutete?lumela mwanahesu.
I m on the ground and want to say that this loan facility has not come about because of upcoming presidential elections ‘no’it was introduced last farming season and its been of great help to small scale farmers most of them who don’t have access to the internet to see all comments above and tell you guys that this is real and not political as most comments put it