Chinsali farmers appeal for satellite depot
FARMERS in Vitondo area in Malalo Ward of Chinsali have appealed to the government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to open up a satellite depot in the area.
Speaking on behalf of other farmers Mr ohn Watuka told the Daily ation in an interview that farmers are subjected to covering long distances of over 40 kilometres to take their maize to the satellite depot in Isoka.
Mr Watuka said farmers are spending a lot of money to transport their maize to Kafwimbi satellite depot in Isoka.
We are appealing to the go ernment to consider opening up a satellite depot at Vitondo area, farmers are paying a minimum of K5 to transport a 50 kg bag of maize to Kafwimbi satellite depot in Isoka,” Mr Watuka said.
Mr Watuka said farmers in some instances are required to spend nights at the satellite depot due to long distances.
He said opening up a satellite depot will reduce some of the challenges farmers are facing to sale their maize to FRA.
Mr Watuka said local farmers are not reaping the full benefits from their mai e sales due to expenses they were incurring on transport and other logistics involved to transport their produce.
And Mr Watuka has appealed to the government to ensure that farming inputs are delivered on time.
Mr Watuka said the go ernment should ensure that agro dealers are scrutinised before they are engaged to distribute farming inputs on behalf of the government.
He said some agro dealers had failed to supply inputs to farmers after making them swipe for inputs.
We are also appealing to the government to ensure that agro dealers supply inputs on time unlike what happened last season where farmers were made to swipe for inputs without giving them inputs and this resulted in some maize fields going to waste, Mr Watuka said.
THREE directors at Ultimate Insurance Company have appeared in the Lusaka magistrates court for theft involving K29, 000.
Nachi Musonda, Richard Lubemba and Hanyimbo Milambo appeared yesterday before Chief Resident Magistrate Lameck Mwale. The first two accused were informed that they had been accused of stealing about K29, 000. But the magistrate could not read the remaining charges because the indictment had too many typographic errors.
Mr Mwale then adjourned the matter to July 19, 2019 for plea to allow the prosecution to clean up the indictment. Earlier, defence lawyers Jonas Zimba and Nchima Nchito applied that the case be dismissed on grounds that the complainant in the matter was incompetent.
They said the insurance company itself or appointed representatives should have been the ones to complain.
Mr Mwale, however, dismissed the application saying the law allows anyone who believes that a crime has been committed to complain.