Agriculture and Livestock Minister Robert Sichinga, has directed the Choma District Agriculture Coordinating officer (DACO) to ensure that distribution of farming inputs to farmers in the district is commenced before the end of this week.
Mr Sichinga said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government was determined to advance the agricultural sector in order to enhance national food capacity through continued timely distribution of farming inputs.
He said Choma district had so far received 16,979 by 50 kg bags of D-compound fertilizer from Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) and urged the district administrative office to commence the distribution of the commodity before the onset of serious rainfall in the district.
The Agriculture and Livestock Minister on Saturday inspected the sheds holding the commodity in which the district was expected to receive a total of 60,800 X 50 Kg bags of D-Compound.
He said the district should take advantage of the current rainfall patterns and ensure that inputs are quickly delivered to the farmers.
“So far, we have no problems with availability of D-Compound in Choma and I can assure the farmers that urea will also be delivered sooner but for D-Compound which has already arrived, you can start the distribution exercise this week,” he said
He assured the farmers in Choma that seeds and top dressing fertilizer would be delivered to the district before the end of this week and that they should not panic as government was making concerted efforts to ensure that farming inputs were delivered on time.
Mr Sichinga, who was accompanied by some senior officials from the ministry, was on a tour of some districts in Southern province to ascertain delivery of farming inputs and the challenges being encountered.
Meanwhile, Choma District Cooperative Union manager, Esau Muzuni told the minister that the district was expecting to receive more bags of D-Compound of 60,800 by 50Kgs to be delivered in total.
Mr Muzuni, however, bemoaned the inadequate storage capacity of farming inputs in Choma and called for establishment of more sheds to cater for increased supply of farming inputs by Government.
“But we are on course because when farmers come to collect the fertilizers, more spaces are also created for other consignments to be safely stored and this is what we are doing,” he said
Southern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Douglas Ngimbu, and Choma District Commissioner, Bernadette Hamweemba, were among several Government officials who accompanied the minister to the storage sheds in Choma.
ZANIS
Keep it up
16 000 out of 60 000 bags delivered to date. It is simple sign of poor planning, if not well thought through segregation of who to service by this govt. You really do not like some parts of this country.
D compound is a basal dressing ferts and contains most immobile plants macro-nutrients, more unavailable is the soil pH is below 5.0. I am learning of heavy rains across the country. so if only 2.6% is delivered now, we expect the crop to stunted and whether you apply the N-base ferts, wont help.
Too sad indeed.
Has his fertilizer from Saudi Arabian deal arrived?
from sata to his ministers its all poor planing but good at pangas and killing.