FERTILISER DISTRIBUTION

THE planting season is on and it is every farmer’s desire to access fertiliser and other agro inputs as early as possible for them to sow their seeds in good time.

The earlier farmers, commercial or small-scale get their inputs, the higher the chances of reaping better crop yields.

With climatic change effects, the rainfall pattern has become unpredictable and it is only prudent that farmers plant early and most importantly, all the inputs should be readily available.

This is why it is gratifying to learn that 25, 000 out of the 28, 000 farmers in Petauke had already received fertiliser through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

This is as it should be as opposed to delivering inputs at the last minute as has been the tendency in the past, resulting in poor crop yields.

During the last farming season, the failed e-voucher system with its glitches, coupled with army worms, and the poor rainfall pattern aggravated the situation.

This time around, farmers and the nation at large are expecting a better farming season, given that distribution of inputs seems promising so far.

It wouldn’t be wrong, therefore, to say that the 2018-2019 has started on a good note as agro inputs such as fertiliser have been distributed in good time.

In Muchinga, Northern and Eastern provinces, for example, fertiliser was delivered as far back as October by Neria’s Investment.

It is also pleasing to note that at the moment, transporters are busy delivering fertiliser in provinces that had not yet received the commodity and other inputs.

Our humble appeal is that the State avoids a repeat of what happened last year when the farming season was marred by so many nagging hitches.

These include as inability by farmers to redeem their inputs through the infamous e-voucher system and failure to pay farmers on time for their produce, among others.

While we salute the government for reverting to FISP, the Ministry of Agriculture should ensure that all impediments that might delay farmers from redeeming their inputs are ironed out.

Failure to do so will only serve to undermine progress that has been achieved thus far in as far as distribution of inputs is concerned.

We have in mind authority to collect certificate (ATC) codes which farmers are using to redeem their inputs that in some instance are preventing famers from collecting their inputs on time.

District agriculture coordinators through the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders involved in the distribution process should ensure that such issues are sorted out outrightly while bureaucracy in processing of papers is minimised as much as possible.

With so much good arable land and water available, Zambia is capable of becoming food secure as well a bread basket in the region.

But unless the perennial shortcomings which dog the sector and demotivate farmers are addressed, this will remain a pipe dream.