Maravi

Mazabuka starts receiving agriculture inputs

Mazabuka starts receiving agriculture inputs
Written by George Zulu in Mazabuka
Sunday, July 05, 2009 4:23:28 PM

Mazabuka district has started receiving the 2009/2010 agricultural inputs under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP).

Confirming the development in an interview in Chivuna, Mazabuka district agricultural coordinator Hastings Nyambe said the area had received 7,000 packs of fertiliser while seed had not yet been delivered.

He said there were a lot of changes in the selection process of farmers to benefit in this year’s FSP, adding that the new guidelines dictated that committees at various camps, which includes extension officers, would identify and recruit small-scale farmers to benefit from the government subsidised inputs.

“Yes I can confirm with you that as Mazabuka, we have started receiving inputs for the 2009/2010 farming season and so far we have received 7,000 packs of fertiliser and this will only target 7,000 small-scale farmers. The selection of beneficiaries has been revised and we hope it will be sustainable, the new method of selecting farmers will be done by camp agriculture committees which we are currently doing as of now…,” he said.

Nyambe said the system had been made in such a way that it allowed for perfection, transparency and accountability in the distribution of the inputs unlike in the last farming season, adding that there was sustainability in the manner the distribution of the inputs would be conducted.

He said although there could be some loopholes in the implementation process, the system was security conscious.

“Yes last year probably people or rather farmers can say that the

system was not transparent in the manner the distribution of inputs was conducted, I should be quick to let you know that this time around the new guidelines have included the church in the selection committee of beneficiaries so it will be difficult for people to abuse it and I can assure farmers that all those who will be selected will benefit but they have also to know that it is a small and selected number, it is not all small scale farmers,” said Nyambe.

Last year, small-scale farmers and other stakeholders described the FSP a failure and appealed to the government to consider revising the guidelines in order to stop the abuse of the programme.

Labels: AGRICULTURE, MAZABUKA DISTRICT

posted by MrK @ 3:25 PM