Maravi

Chief Mukonchi blames FSP’s ineffectiveness on co-operatives

Chief Mukonchi blames FSP’s ineffectiveness on co-operatives
Written by Agness Changala
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:50:16 PM

CHIEF Mukonchi of the Swaka people in Kapiri Mposhi has blamed co-operative societies for the poor performance of the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) for this farming season.

In an interview, chief Mukonchi disclosed that most small-scale farmers in his area only received their allocation under FSP last month, way after the onset of the farming season.

He wondered what farmers would do with the inputs as time for cultivation had already elapsed.

Chief Mukonchi urged the government to work closely with traditional leaders in the implementation of the FSP in order to get desired results from the initiative.

“I know a lot of people have commented on this issue but the government has not taken it seriously,” chief Mukonchi said. “This is not a joke; I am very serious because if the government won’t involve chiefs in the process of the Fertiliser Support Programme distribution, it won’t achieve anything. Chiefs are fathers of all chiefdoms and know who can do farming and not, hence the need to involve the chiefs so that right people can receive fertiliser.”

Chief Mukonchi also said chiefs must be consulted before some organisations could be identified as cooperatives, alleging that others only belonged to individuals.

He said the government would have difficulties eradicating hunger in the country if it continued to ignore guidance from the chiefs and other people who had advised about the FSP.

Chief Mukonchi said the government should not forget that rural people were the ones who laboured for those in urban areas.

“People forget that everything they eat comes from rural areas and all the urban areas have are industries to process the food from the very rural areas which are abandoned,” chief Mukonchi said.

He however said despite poor administration of the FSP, his people were expecting a bumper harvest this year.

“We are expecting a bumper harvest despite the hiccups which were experienced in last season in the distribution of inputs,” said chief Mukonchi.

Labels: CHIEF MUKONCHI, COOPERATIVES, FERTILIZER, FSP

posted by MrK @ 4:50 PM