Over 27,700 farmers are expected to benefit from the fertiliser input support programme (FISP) in Kasama in the 2016/17 farming season, the district agriculture co-ordinator Benny Tembo has disclosed.
Mr. Tembo also said a total of 110 FISP e-voucher redeeming sites dotted around 28 agricultural camps in the district have been established to enable farmers access inputs closer to their areas. This is contained in a Zambia National Farmers’ Union Friday brief.
“Kasama is one of the 39 districts in the country where the e-voucher system will be used to dispense agricultural inputs for the 2016/17 farming season. [A total number of] 27,721 farmers have been earmarked to benefit from the FISP in Kasama this year,” Mr. Tembo said.
He advised the agro dealers not to over-price the farming inputs but try to serve the farmers diligently.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender and Child Development is scheduled to give 18 tractors in Northern and Muchinga Provinces, according to ZNFU.
Out of 18 tractors, 16 will be given as grants to various farmer groups in Northern Province while two will be given to groups in Mpika district.
The beneficiary farmer groups are from nine districts namely Mungwi, Senga, Kasama, Kaputa, Mbala, Mporokoso, Luwingu, Chilubi and Mpika.
“The objective of the programme is to enhance agriculture production and productivity,” the union says.
