Neria Investment Limited has distributed about 20,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser out of the targeted 45,000 tonnes the company is expected to deliver under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2016/17 farming season.
Government has contracted the company to deliver 44, 866. 85 tonnes of fertiliser to Eastern, Northern, Muchinga and Lusaka provinces.
Neria Investment Limited general manager Martin Chaikatisha said the firm will continue supporting government efforts that seek to enhance food security and economic growth.
In a recent interview, Mr Chaikatisha said the company intends to speed up the distribution exercise to enable farmers plough and farm their land before the onset of the rains.
“We are supposed to deliver 12,705.85 metric tonnes of fertiliser in Muchinga Province, 14,681. 55 in Northern Province, 2,649. 15 in Lusaka Province, while Eastern Province will receive 14,830.30. So far, out of the 44, 866. 85 tonnes, we have distributed 40 percent, and we are remaining with 60 percent before we complete the exercise,” he said.
Mr Chaikatisha said with good policies in the agriculture sector, the country is poised to witness growth as the sector is necessary for the progress of expanding the non-agricultural sector.
He, however, called on Government to expedite the construction of storage houses in rural areas.
“We would like to urge Government to quickly construct more storage facilities and also let the farmers start collecting the inputs in readiness for planting. If inputs are delivered in time there is no need for farmers to delay in collecting them,” Mr Chaikatisha said.
