Maravi

Agric inputs arrive in Luapula, Northern provinces, says Namachila

Agric inputs arrive in Luapula, Northern provinces, says Namachila
Written by Chewe Kamungu in Mpika
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:51:57 PM

THE delayed agricultural inputs have started arriving in various sheds in Luapula and Northern provinces.

Agriculture and cooperatives Permanent Secretary Bernard Namachila said the input distribution programme in Northern and Luapula provinces had delayed due to the late delivery of the D Compound fertiliser by contracted supplier of the inputs, Nyiombo Investments Ltd.

He said according to Nyiombo, they were unable to deliver to the districts because they had not received their supplies from Tanzania where the inputs were marooned and that Tazara did not have sufficient wagons to bring the commodity into the country.

In an interview in Mpika after his tour of Northern and Luapula provinces, Namachila called on farmers not to lose heart as the inputs had started flowing into the various parts of the provinces.

"I am satisfied that the inputs are in the country and are being distributed to Luapula and Northern provinces where 85 per cent of the districts had not yet received the D Compound fertiliser," he said.

Namachila called on Nyiombo to take more inputs to depots that needed the fertiliser as opposed to keeping the commodity in the wagons in Mpika while affected districts were still waiting for the inputs.

He added that more transport and manpower should be secured by Nyiombo to ensure that the inputs that were yet to be offloaded from the wagons were transported to affected districts.

"We have urged Nyiombo to put in more transport and manpower to ensure that these inputs are offloaded. We have eleven wagons in Mpika each carrying 1000 x 50kg bags of D Compound fertiliser and that means that we will still be offloading to various parts of the two provinces," he said.

Namachila assured farmers of further deliveries of inputs where balances were remaining on allocated inputs in the districts.

"My appeal to the farmers is that the inputs have arrived and they are in their sheds and those that are still waiting for balances will be supplemented and supported by further deliveries where balances of inputs were being awaited," he explained .

Namachila appealed to the farmers to utilise the inputs for production of crops and not for resale.

He said that if there were some people who had intentions of reselling the fertiliser, they should consider entering into separate contracts with Nyiombo as the fertiliser was not for resale under the Fertiliser Support Programme.

Labels: BERNARD NAMACHILA, FERTILIZER, NYIOMBO INVESTMENT LTD

posted by MrK @ 8:53 PM