By Lawrence Kabutu
Authorities in Zimba district are elated with the distribution of the 2022/2023 Farmer Input Support Programme as farmers are collecting their inputs.
Zimba District Commissioner Robson Mulamfu said all farmers in the district have been issued with Authority to deposit and Authority to collect.
Mr. Mulamfu commended the officers from the ministry of Agriculture for the hard work exhibited during the implementation of the Farmer Input Support Programme.
He noted that the warehouse manager Alpha Commodities at the local storage sheds in Zimba are also issuing fertilizer to the farmers.
Mr. Mulafu however indicated that at the moment the district is waiting for another consignment of fertilizer to enable remaining farmers access the commodity.
He noted that within this month most of the farmers in the district would have collected their inputs once a number trucks roll in the district to deliver additional stocks of inputs.
‘’Looking at the way the process is going on, we are very sure that within this month most of the farmers would have acquired their inputs,’’ said Mr. Mulamfu.
The District Commissioner appealed to farmers to exercise a bit of patience as the district waits for trucks delivering the commodity.
And Zimba District Agricultural Coordinator Alfred Sianjase said 7,900 beneficiary farmers under FISP have all contributed their K400 towards the programme.
Mr. Sianjase pointed out that 7,891 as at 22nd December 2022 representing 99.98 percent from the total target of farmers were issued with authority to collect.
He observed that so far collection of inputs in the district is going on well with a total of 7,723 giving a 97.76 percent remaining with less than 200 farmers to collect.
Mr. Sianjase is very hopeful that all the farmers would have finished collecting their inputs this week.
‘’However, 2,079 farmers have fully collected their inputs whilst 5,644 have partially collected their inputs. This does not mean that the collection of inputs by farmers is not going on well but that farmers are simply moving from one point to the other. Let us say from Seed to Fertilizer and also to the legumes. When the farmer completes this process that is when we record that they have fully collected,’’ explained Mr. Sianjase
Mr. Sianjase said so far he was happy with the way the district was moving in terms of collection of inputs in terms of Authority to Deposit which has been completed and Authority to Collect.
ENDS/LK/NAIS
