We’ll deal with crooked agro-dealers - Katambo

WE will blacklist agro-dealers who were allegedly stealing farming inputs from farmers if proven guilty, Agriculture Minister, Michael Katambo has warned

In a ministerial statement on the Implementation of FISP for the 2018/2019 agricultural season in Parliament yesterday, Mr Katambo said over K500 million had so far been paid to agro-dealers under the E-Voucher system.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture registered 870 agro-dealers who operated 2, 155 outlets.

He said dishonest agro-dealers who were swiping but not issuing farmers with inputs and delay in the delivery of all the required quantities of legume seed.

And Mr Katambo said 854, 799 farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) had redeemed their farming inputs.

Mr Katambo said 99.9 percent of the targeted one million farmers in both E-voucher and Direct Input Supply Districts had successfully deposited their contribution as at February 4, 2019.

“These farmers were eligible to receive Government support. Out of the number of farmers that deposited their contribution, a total of 854, 799 redeemed their inputs” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Katambo said preparations for the 2019/2020 season has already started.

He said consultative meetings with various stakeholders were planned for March.

“Our aim is to ensure that the programme performance improves by eliminating the identified challenges.

We want the programme to start as early as April 2019. The Ministry will continue providing regular updates on FISP,” Mr Katambo said.