THE Export Trading Group (ETG) targets at invest about US$1 million in the input distribution network across the country to ensure that fertiliser and agro chemicals are available to all farmers.
Company programmes director Nyambe Luhila said ETG’s investment in distribution network across the country was meant to ensure that fertilizer and agro chemicals were available to farmers even in rural areas.
Mr Luhila said the idea was to have all-weather depots that serve farmers throughout the year.
He said this in an interview after the launch of the 2017-2018 crop planting season in Monze last week.
“In terms of the distribution network, we have been present in Southern, Lusaka, Central, Copperbelt and Northern Provinces, now with the splitting of provinces we are now in Muchinga.
“We have made headways into Luapula…we have also extended to North-Western Province, all this
is investment will amount to about US$1 million or so,” Mr Luhila said.
He said the company would this year distribute 65, 000 tonnes of D-compound under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and the same amount for Urea fertilizer.
Mr Luhila noted that fertilizer was a bulky commodity, as such transportation and storage presented a challenge especially on agro dealers across the country.
He said the current lack of adequate warehousing facilities in rural areas was limiting the capacity of agro dealers to trade in big volumes.
