Maravi

Chief Chamuka calls on govt to finance farmers

Chief Chamuka calls on govt to finance farmers
By Bright Mukwasa
Wednesday March 26, 2008 [03:00]

CHIEF Chamuka of the Lenje people of Central Province has urged the government to consider re-introducing the agriculture finance programmes following its decision to reduce the number of farmers accessing fertiliser under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP). In an interview on Monday, chief Chamuka said agriculture remained critical to the survival of many rural lives. The government has further reduced the number of farmers to benefit from FSP from 157, 000 last season to 75, 000 this year.

But some members of parliament have accused the government of not paying sufficient attention to the agriculture sector despite its pronouncements that the sector was a priority Chief Chamuka said the government’s decision to reduce the number of farmers to access fertiliser was a negative move to the development of rural development.

Chief Chamuka said the government therefore needed to revisit finance programmes so that farmers could access loans for specific agriculture programmes.
He said access to important agriculture inputs like fertiliser was still poor among rural farmers.

Chief Chamuka said the government needed to ensure that the infrastructure in rural areas be improved as the most effective way of wooing skilled labour to these areas.

Labels: CHIEF CHAMUKA, FSP, RURAL AREAS

posted by MrK @ 3:45 AM