An additional 162, 572 farmers will benefit from the maize packs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2015-2016 Agricultural season.
This means that the number of farmers to benefit under the conventional FISP program has increased from the current 598, 723 to 761, 295 beneficiary farmers.
Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda says this entails that in addition to the 214, 000 farmers that are under the e-voucher system for newly introduced crops, the total targeted beneficiary farmers under FISP has equally increased from the 1, 000, 000 targeted in the 2014-2015 season to 1, 162, 572 in the 2015-2016 Agricultural season.
Mr. Lubinda has told Parliament in a ministerial statement this afternoon that this review implies that areas such as Mafinga constituency which had only 6, 583 farmers under FISP, will now have 8, 370 farmers receiving support under the program.
He has explained that this undertaking of increasing the number of beneficiary farmers will require an additional 32, 514.4 metric tons of fertilizer and 1, 625.72 metric tons of maize seed.
Mr. Lubinda says with the exception of the maize seed, all the required quantities of fertilizer have already been procured by government.
He notes that an estimated total of K42 million will however be required to procure the additional maize seed and K11 million to move the seed and the fertilizer across the country.
And Mr. Lubinda has also disclosed that in view of the high prices of fertilizer in the Country, government has directed the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) to produce 44, 000 metric tons of Compound D fertilizer for the open commercial market.
Mr. Lubinda says the NCZ open commercial market fertilizer which will be made available to agro dealers across the Country, will be priced at not more than K320 per 50Kg bag.
He has warned that any agro dealer, who will increase the price of this fertilizer beyond the stated K320 per 50Kg bag, will be penalized by not being sold any further stock by NCZ.
Well done to increase the number of benefiting farmers. However, you still do not have a strategy to reduce cost of production. The fertilizer from NCZ has not even hit the production line. This ikplies your strategy is dependant on a half capacity facility to do miracles.
Propaganda!
Nonsense from this half cast. He is talking about procuring this time. What is the production lead time? transportation to base, Distribution time including all logistics we are talking not less than 3 months. Late January to Feb to start farming. No wonder the country has collapsed. These nincompoops are delusional. god Forbid. I was abused when I said with this bunch Kwacha will reach $20,000 especially by that lunatic sponge bob. where are we heading? this is the cause. Paya Farmer
Even the minister himself does not believe in what he is saying. Next year bunga will be at all times high, thanks to no vision PF.