ZNFU PREDICTS GLOOM OVER E-VOUCHER
WE anticipate another messy input distribution exercise through the e-voucher system because the Ministry of Agriculture seems to have run out of ideas on priorities, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has charged.
Commenting on the ministry’s projection that the input distribution will start by this August, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said farmers must get worried because those entrusted with public responsibility in the sector were repeating mistakes which tainted agriculture.
Mr. Zimba said it was a laughing matter that the Ministry of Agriculture was talking about this year’s input distribution exercise without looking at its backlog of failures stemming from the previous farming season where some farmers never received their inputs despite depositing money.
He said there was no logic in the announcement for input distribution as it was not the priority to farmers who were currently awaiting maize marketing floor price and an assurance that they would receive the inputs for the money they paid last year.
He said it was sad that while the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had already announced the quantity of crops it would purchase this year, there was no indication of the floor price.
“There is so much confusion in the Ministry of Agriculture at the moment.
The input distribution exercise which they are talking about is surrounded by a lot of issues.
We need clarity but they are now confusing the farmers. How do you start talking about input distribution when they have not even explained how the marketing by the FRA will be done?
“Agro dealers on the other side are owed a lot of money and that matter has not been resolved yet someone wants to ignore all that mess from last year and start talking about input distribution for this year,” Mr. Zimba said.
He added: “The agriculture matrix and maize marketing distribution requires men and women who can think beyond and put things in perspective. We are fed up of having the same problems every year and at the rate we are moving, we foresee a failed input distribution exercise again.”