CB POISED FOR BUMPER HARVEST

COPPERBELT will record a bumper harvest following the early distribution of farming inputs in all districts, provincial agriculture coordinator, Obvious

Kabinda, has predicted.

Dr Kabinda expressed excitement that farmers had started accessing fertiliser under the Farmer Input Supply (FISP) for the 2020/21 farming season.

The province has 102,452 beneficiaries under FISP.

He said this at the weekend when Nyimba Investments officials led by Head-Sales and Marketing Willings Mulendema paid a courtesy call on him.

“As you know farmers in the province started making their deposits early and so they have started collecting fertiliser in good time and we hope that by end of October, all of them would have collected. This is an indication that farmers have come to appreciate the programme,” said Dr Kabinda

Kitwe District Agriculture Coordinator,

Raphael Munyaule, advised farmers not to sell fertiliser but use it for agricultural purposes.

Mr Munyaule said the farmers were adhering to the health guidelines while collecting their fertiliser.

And Mr Mulendema said that Nyimba was happy that Government had contracted the company among the suppliers for the 2020/21 farming season.

“Our message to the farmers and the government of Zambia is that we won’t let them down. We promise to do our best so that agriculture can flourish in Zambia, “he said.

District Commissioner, Chileshe Bweupe, said farmers were happy that they had started accessing fertiliser early.

Despite the effects of the Covid-19, he said, the accessing of fertiliser had not been affected as farmers were able to adhere to the health guidelines.