Chief Chanje of the Chewa speaking people in Chipangali district, Eastern Province is concerned with the delay in the distribution of farming inputs to all the 32 cooperatives in his chiefdom.
The Tradition leader said he was disheartened when he conducted a tour of a number of cooperatives to ascertain the progress of the farming input distribution to his subjects, only to find that none had received so far.
He told ZANIS in an interview yesterday that it was worrying that all 32 cooperatives in Kalichero 2 area had not yet started receiving seeds and even fertilizer for farmers for the 2018/2019 farming season.
Chief Chanje explained that there is an urgent need for the office of the district Agriculture Coordinator to institute an urgent investigation in the matter in order to allow farmers access inputs.
“On Tuesday this week I conducted a tour of Kalichero 2 to appreciate the progress of farming inputs distribution in Chief Chikuwe’s chiefdom where am a caretaker. I was concerned to learn that all 32 cooperatives have not yet commenced distribution of seeds and even fertilizer. Let relevant authorities look into the matter because farmers are eager to start planting since we are in the planting season. I therefore urge small scale farmers to report to my office if they will be given less bags than they are supposed to receive,” he said.
And when contacted for a comment Chipata District Agriculture Coordinator (DACO) Philemon Lungu said his office has not received any reports of some farmers who have not yet started receiving farming inputs.
Mr. Lungu however emphasised that he will institute an investigation to ascertain what has caused the delay of the farming input distribution to the 32 cooperatives in Chief Chikuwe’s area.
In November this year, Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo said all is set for the 2018/2019 farming season having completed the distribution of both Basal and Top dressing fertilizer countrywide.
Is it true people in lumezi ,eastern province are surviving on mangos?
According to them they have already delivered the farming inputs.
This chief is lying because government has already delivered inputs long time ago. That would have been the statement if this chief was from southern province. Now what are they going to say is he still a liar?