THE Government has assured farmers in Zambia that it will address the issue of fertilizer distribution to avoid delays in planting in the next farming season.
Central province Permanent Secretary Anne Sinyangwe who was speaking during a field tour for farmers organized by the Zambia Institute of Research
(ZIR) in Kabwe said, Government was in the process of opening tenders for supply of urea while D compound would be sourced locally from Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ).
Ms Sinyangwe said this was being done because Government wanted to bring to an end the uncertainty which characterized the distribution of inputs during the 2012/13 farming season.
“We want to make sure that there are no delays in the distribution of farming inputs from now onwards,” she said.
She, however, asked the farmers to consider diversifying to other crops such as cassava, millet and sorghum saying diversification was key to food security.
Meanwhile, Ms Sinyangwe warned unscrupulous dealers who were in the habit of selling fake seeds to farmers saying this would soon be a thing of the past as government would introduce a seed laboratory to curb the situation.
She also said Government was considering investing in technology and research in view of climatic changes.
And Kabwe Central Member of Parliament (MP) James Kapyanga said field trips played an important role in dissemination of information to farmers and educated them on good agriculture practice.
The field trip was attended by farmers from different areas of the province.
Pathetic Failures!
Its field days not field trips…ZARI not ZIR..thank you