Beneficiaries of FSP cry over partial droughts being experienced

Some beneficiaries of the Food Security Pack (FSP) Programme under the Department of Community Development in Ncheka ward of Mambwe District have expressed uncertainty over having a productive yield due to the droughts experienced in the area.

The farmers are worried that such would cause them to fail to meet the conditionality of giving back part of their harvest to the department.

The Food Security Pack Programme conditions require its beneficiaries to give back the 4 by 50 kilogrammes bags of maize and at least two bags of legumes as part of sustaining the programme that affords vulnerable households to access farming inputs.

Alick Kafupi, a resident of Mchenga Village in Ncheka ward who was put on the programme in 2021, said he is yet to benefit from the farming inputs that were given to him because of the drought that has been experienced in the district.

Mr. Kafupi told ZANIS in an interview that he received 2 x 50kg bags of Compound D fertilizer, 1 x 50kg bag of Urea, 10k maize seed and 10kg of groundnut seed.

Mr. Kafupi also alleged that other than the district experiencing drought beneficiaries were not happy with the quality of seeds that was given to them.

He urged that government should consider procuring seed from other companies other than the one that supplied the input under the current season.

“It is true that the drought that we have experienced has led to our crops not growing or germinating. However, we request that the consignment for farming inputs for the 2022-2023 farming season be procured from another company,” Mr Kafupi said.

He mentioned that many people in the entire district have complained about the seeds, especially groundnut seed because it does not germinate.

Mr. Kafupi added that if possible, the beneficiaries under the Food Security Pack can be given Soya beans seed in the 2022-2023 farming season in place of the groundnut seed pack.

And Mr. Kafupi said that despite the maize crop not doing well this year because of the drought, he is ready to pay back the equivalent of 4 x 50kg bags of maize in monetary form once he sells his Cotton that has done better to avoid abrogating the FSP guidelines.

Meanwhile, Mambwe District Assistant Community Development Officer Racheal Lungu said the department will consider giving Soya beans seed to beneficiaries of the Food Security Pack in the 2022- 2023 farming season.

Ms. Lungu confirmed that many beneficiaries in the district have cried foul over the failure for the groundnut seed to geminate after planting, as well as poor quality of the maize seed.

Ms. Lungu said recommendations will be made so that another company can be engaged to supply good quality seed packs that are better than what they received previously.

Ms. Lungu further implored the beneficiaries to employ farming strategies that are climate resilient seeing that the effects of climate change have brought a lot of harm.

She also encouraged the beneficiaries to give back the required bags of crops under the FSP agreement, failure to which her department may attract audit queries.

“We understand that this farming season has been very bad. Therefore, we will forgo you giving back the groundnut pack as it did not germinate and the whole district has complained of experiencing the same problem. However, we demand that you pay back the maize bags which have at least yielded something,” she said.