Pemba farmers counselled
FARMERS in Pemba should start making deposits of their K 400 so that they can start accessing farming inputs for the 2020/2021 under the Famer Input Support Programme (FISP).
Pemba District Commissioner Reginald Mugoba said previously, farmers were making deposits at the last minutes.
He said, therefore, that farmers should immediately start to make their deposits and that the K400 would reflect on their phones.
In an interview, Mr Mugoba said that the district was still under the e-voucher programme.
“We are encouraging farmers to start depositing their K400. As you know Pemba is under e-voucher and so, we want them to start accessing the agricultural inputs as you know that the window is now open.
“The problem with some of the cooperative farmers is that they only become active when it’s time to start getting inputs. Cooperatives must be active all year round,” Mr Mugoba said.
He observed that most farmers did not understand that cooperatives were supposed to be helping them if they did not have the money because they held shares in cooperatives.
Mr Mugoba noted that these shares were supposed to be used as capital for the cooperatives.
“We are encouraging leaders of these cooperatives to ensure that they operate throughout the year not only when it’s time to access fertilizer.
“We don’t want people to start panicking. We want them to start the preparations in advance to avoid panicking like it has always been the case before,” he said.
Mr Mugoba said that during the 2019/2020 farming season, Pemba had sufficient rainfall and some farmers who adhered to the metrological advice had very good harvest.