Small-scale farmers in Central Province have accused government of failing to deliver fertiliser on time, warning that another season of delays could devastate yields and deepen food insecurity. Speaking to News Diggers, farmers in Kapiri Mposhi and Serenje districts said they had yet to receive full allocations under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), despite assurances that distribution would be completed before the rains.
Farmer leader Joseph Mwape said inputs often arrive months late, forcing farmers to plant without fertiliser or resort to buying at inflated market prices. “We cannot continue gambling with agriculture. Every season we are told distribution will improve, but on the ground nothing changes,” he lamented.
The Ministry of Agriculture has blamed logistical bottlenecks and foreign exchange shortages for the delays. Officials explained that importing fertiliser has become more difficult due to global supply disruptions and the depreciation of the kwacha.
Opposition leaders seized on the complaints, accusing government of mishandling agriculture — a sector that employs the majority of Zambians. They argued that repeated fertiliser delays contradict campaign promises of supporting farmers and boosting food security.
Agricultural experts warn that unless input distribution is streamlined, Zambia risks losing its comparative advantage in maize production. They argue that smallholders cannot continue absorbing the burden of systemic inefficiencies.
Civil society organisations have called for reforms in FISP, suggesting direct cash transfers to farmers to buy inputs from local suppliers, rather than relying on centralised procurement prone to corruption and delays.
For now, farmers say they feel abandoned, with one describing the programme as “politics with fertiliser” rather than genuine support.