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(HERALD) Over 13 000t fertiliser, 1 000t seed distributed to farmers - GMB

Over 13 000t fertiliser, 1 000t seed distributed to farmers: GMB
Wednesday, 11 January 2012 00:00
Herald Reporter

THE Grain Marketing Board has distributed to farmers 1 164 tonnes of seed, 5 554 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and 7 737 tonnes of compound D fertilisers since last week. This is being done under the Input Loan Scheme, which is an amalgamation of three Government input schemes designed to ensure that farmers access inputs in time.

The three schemes are the US$30 million inputs facility swap programme, US$45,4 million subsidised programme and the US$56,2 million agricultural commercial funding programme.

In a statement yesterday, GMB general manager Mr Albert Mandizha said some suppliers contracted by Government were yet to deliver the inputs.

"A total of 33 320 tonnes of compound D, 26 487 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and 4 668 tonnes of seed have not yet been delivered by the contracted farmers," he said. "Farmers will be advised as and when these deliveries are made to the GMB so that they collect the inputs."

Mr Mandizha said GMB was monitoring the distribution of inputs to ensure accountability and making sure that all farmers access them. "Due to limited quantities of inputs at GMB depots, our depot managers resorted to rationalise the allocation to ensure that more farmers benefit from the loan scheme," he said. "At some depots, managers took the initiative to engage local leadership to assist in order to achieve fairness in distribution."

He said they had visited 11 depots coun-trywide to assess the distribution process while eight other depots were being audited to ensure corporate governance issues were being observed.

Mr Mandizha said all GMB depots were open during the festive holidays to enable farmers to access the inputs.

He dismissed some media reports that GMB opened during the public holidays to favour certain farmers.

"The intention was not malicious as now being purported by some sections of the media, rather the crack response was to enable farmers to take advantage of the wet spell and utilise that as a planting window," he said.

Under the Input Loan Scheme, communal farmers should get at least 25kg of maize seed, 200kg of basal fertiliser and 100kg of top dressing while A1 farmers are entitled to 50kg of maize seed, 400kg and 200kg of top dressing fertiliser. A2 farmers are getting inputs enough to cover 100 hectares.

Labels: FERTILIZER, GRAIN MARKETING BOARD ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 6:33 PM