GOVERNMENT will start distributing inputs for the 2017-2018 farming season under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) in June this year.
Ministry of Agriculture permanent secretary Julius Shawa said in an interview yesterday that Government has already started initial preparations for tendering and procurement process of the farming inputs.
Mr Shawa said farmers are likely to start receiving farm inputs as early as June immediately after the procurement process is completed.
“We have been tasked to ensure that we distribute farm inputs to the farmers as early as June, so we have started the preparations,” he said.
Mr Shawa said the early distribution of farm inputs will greatly enhance productivity in the agriculture sector as farmers will be able to plant their seed immediately the rainy season starts.
He also said Government is putting in place modalities which will enable farmers using the electronic voucher system (e-voucher) to have their cards activated quickly.
Last year, many farmers faced challenges in accessing farm inputs from agro-dealers due to the delay in activating the e-voucher cards.
Mr Shawa also appealed to farmers to start preparing for the 2017-2018 farming season by saving adequate funds for procurement of farm inputs.
He said with the crop marketing exercise kicking off next month, farmers should be able to sell their produce to the Food Reserve Agency and start planning for this year’s farming season.
“Farmers should not only depend on Government for the supply of inputs, they should also start preparing for this year’s farming season. They can do this by saving their earnings to buy inputs for the coming farming season,” Mr Shawa said.
When minister is too busy with marital affairs, divorce cases etc.
Same old song from the ministry of agriculture, distribution of farming inputs which goes way into February the next year.
Till it happens we can on ly wait and see
The problem is government officials thinking for the farmers basing their decisions according to literature! To be practical the ministry should have been guided by the farm inputs recipients as to when all depots must have in store the inputs i.e a deadline date! Marketing of the 2016/17 harvest starts next month……Really? Maybe for commercial farmers capable of using driers for its common sense that most small scale farmers depend on environmental factors for moisture content to stabilize before starting to harvest! For small scale farmers delivery of harvest is anywhere August/September and if only they would get paid immediately then a successful farming season would ensue! Anyhow we have to wait and see, hopefully this years planned early distribution does not mean its spillover…
contd…. inputs that government failed to deliver for the 2016/17 farming season for they may as well be less viable! Good luck!
Procurement and tender process headed by Dora..really laughable…this process is flawed system and should have been reviewed and taken apart.
stop draming..this is not a brothel..shut up..where will you find the money>?
WHY NOT START NOW, BECAUSE EVERY SEASON THERE REPORTS OF LATENESS AND NOT AT ALL HAVING DISTRIBUTED TO CERTAIN AREAS. START NOW TO AVOID THE ABOVE MENTION SITUATIONS.