Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) Members of Opposition political parties mock farmers

Members of Opposition political parties mock farmers
January 13, 2009

Farmers in Serenje have urged politicians to desist from politicizing the fertilizer issue.

The farmers who have been spending nights at the bus station waiting for their allocations of fertiliser complained to the District Agriculture Coordinator (DACO) Kennedy Mulenga, that some members of the opposition political parties were mocking them over the delayed arrival of the commodity.

Mr. Justine Mwape of Muchinka area said politicians were laughing at them saying they deserved to suffer in order to obtain agriculture inputs because they have allowed the MMD to continue ruling.

He said it had been unfortunate that the fertilizer issue had become political when it was a cross cutting issue.

The farmers appealed to government to quickly clear them with their allocations so that they could apply the commodity in their fields.

Another farmer, Mr. Noble Chita said the delay had adversely affected the crops in the fields which would consequently affect the yields.

And district commissioner Stanley Chibwana, has said some more fertilizers have arrived to cater for the farmers who already paid for the commodity.

Mr. Chibwana said 2000 by 50kg bags of top dressing and 4000 by 50kg bags of basal dressing arrived by a Tazara wagon and was being offloaded at Tazara railway station.

He said the 2000 bags of urea completes the allocation for the district while 500 more bags of D-compound was still being expected to complete the allocation.

Mr.Chibwana appealed to the farmers to allow Nyiombo Serenje office off load fertilizer today so that distribution can be done.

Meanwhile the DACO said over 4000 farmers in Serenje had so far received fertilizer since the distribution started this season.

Mr.Mulenga said his office received money from farmers according to the allocation given adding that no farmer who paid for the fertilizer would be left out.

ZANIS/CC/MKM/ENDS

Labels: DACO, FSP, POLITICS

posted by MrK @ 9:59 AM