Zambia: New Fertiliser Company cheers Mkushi DACO
Monday, July 26, 2010, 21:09
The Mkushi District Agriculture Coordinating Office has cheered the setting up of a Fertiliser producing company in the district.
During an interview with ZANIS, District Agriculture Coordinating Officer (DACO) Wabalika Chiluba, observed that the advent of Green Belt Fertiliser (GBF) factory in the district was a major boost to the agriculture fraternity owing to localized production of fertilizer.
Mr. Chiluba said that the coming of GBF was likely to bring all round benefits to farmers in the district, noting that localized production of fertilizer presented assurance in the supply of fertilizer.
He said the factory plant has been well received in the district and that the development carried much hope of further enhancing Mkushi’s reputation as a major agricultural district.
In a related interview, Mkushi Green Belt Plant Manager, Chris Barker said the factory was currently averaging a daily out put ranging between 60, 000 and 90, 000 by 50kg bags of fertilizer.
Mr. Barker said the production prospects were likely to take an upswing saying that the plant was working towards reaching an average daily out put of 200, 000 bags.
He said the production prospects capacity was greatly being aided by modernized state of the art plant machinery, and that the demand pull from farmers was also playing a major role in scaling up production quantity.
He pointed out that the GBF factory was capable of making various types of fertilizers adding that as many as 20 different raw materials were being used in the production of these fertilizers.
Mr. Barker projected busier times for the GBF plant and observed that the market in Mkushi had indicated much promise during the company’s first month of production.
He also said that the company hopes to achieve a monthly target of at least 3000 bags of fertilizer.
GBF commenced production in the district last month.
ZANIS
Labels: DACO, FERTILIZER, GREEN BELT FERTILIZER, MKUSHI DACO
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FRA urges DACOs to advise farmers on maize drying
By Namatama Mundia in Serenje
Fri 26 Mar. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has urged District Agriculture Coordinators (DACOs) to sensitise farmers on how to effectively dry their maize because the agency shall not purchase a crop which has high moist content.
In an interview on Wednesday after the FRA delegation, which included Ministry of Works and Supply director of buildings Whytone Ngulube and Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MACO) chief agriculture economist in
"We have specifications in maize market, so I am urging the extension officers to advise farmers on how to store their maize so that we don't buy under-grade maize and that is non-negotiable," he said. "We will only accept grade maize with a maximum of 12.5 moist."
charge of agribusiness and trade Hargreaves Sikwibele, toured one of the eight sheds being constructed by a Chinese firm Camcon International in Serenje, FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanaumo said the agency would not purchase maize whose moisture content would be above 12.5 per cent.
He urged the leadership in Serenje to ensure that farmers were engaged in the drying and storing of their maize so that only pure quality was sold to the agency.
"I have noticed that farmers are just drying their maize on the road sides, DACO should sensitise them (farmers)," he said.
And Dr Mwanaumo said FRA had recorded a post-harvest loss of 0.7 per cent during the past farming season.
"The international post-harvest losses accepted is 0.2 per cent, so we are way below that and we hope that the construction of the new sheds will help reduce post harvest losses," he said.
Dr Mwanaumo added that the new sheds, which were being constructed, would not only reduce post-harvest losses but also improve the grain quality.
He said the appointment of warehouse managers was also linked to loss of maize.
"We sign contracts and when there is loss of maize, we don't re-engage them. We deduct from the warehouse manager's money, so the losses to the agency are minimal," Dr Mwanaumo said.
He also assured that security concerns would be addressed before the sheds were commissioned. And Ngulube urged the contractors to adhere to the country's buildings standards. He urged Camco International to build strong sheds.
"I also want to appeal to them to ensure that the materials such as the blocks and concretes are tested before being used because if we find that the materials do not conform to our standards, we are going to demolish the buildings," Ngulube warned.
"If something goes wrong, we will be partly to blame, so follow the designs so that the (initial plan) does not change."
Ngulube urged the Chinese contractors to also conform to the local labour laws and regulations.
"Tell everybody who you will employ to work hard," he said.
And Sikwibele said the sheds were being constructed at the right time when the country had projected a bumper harvest.
"Post harvest losses has been a big problem for our ministry (MACO), this infrastructure is important especially that there is a trend in the whole country of increased production of maize," he said.
Sikwibele added that there was need to invest in infrastructure in order to secure crops.
Earlier on Wednesday, FRA also visited Chisamba shed in Chibombo district which would be able to store 12,083 metric tonnes of maize with its completion date set for May while the other shed visited was the Kapiri Mposhi one.
The construction of Kapiri Mposhi shed has reached an advanced stage and is expected to be completed in April with its storage capacity expected to be 9,733.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, ANTHONY MWANAUMO, DACO, FRA, HARGREAVES SIKWIBELE, MAIZE, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATIVES
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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
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Monze DACO bemoans delay in launch of FSP
Written by George Zulu in Monze
Tuesday, November 04, 2008 4:38:49 PM
THE department of agriculture and cooperatives in Monze has said the delay in the launch of the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP)
will delay the distribution exercise of farming inputs.
In an interview, acting Monze district agriculture Coordinator Dr Phanewel Nyimba said the delay in the launch of the programme would affect the distribution programme which was supposed to have taken place sometime back.
“The delay in the launch of the FSP in Monze will affect the farming season. We have not yet distributed the inputs and we are worried because of the onset of the rains. Roads are impassable in rural areas where the inputs are needed most,” he said.
Dr Nyimba said the onset of the rains would make the distribution and transportation of the inputs difficult, especially in far flung areas where roads were in a deplorable state.
“We need to speed up the whole process of the launch of the FSP programme; we have some inputs lying in the sheds, at least if we can start with places which are difficult to reach then we can put our worries to rest,” he said.
Dr Nyimba also disclosed that Monze district had not yet received 11 000 by 50 kg bags of basal fertiliser which he said was important in the agricultural system in the country.
He said 43,720 bags of both basal and top dressing had been received so far, adding that the district has about 360 by 10kg bags of excess seed. The launch of the FSP is scheduled for Thursday this week and Monze has been allocated 54, 720 by 50 kg bags of fertiliser.
Labels: DACO, FSP, MONZE, PHANEWEL NYIMBA
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