ZCF calls for increased investment in small-scale irrigation
By Chimwemwe Kasanje
Tue 13 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE government should intensify providing affordable irrigation equipment for small and medium-scale farmers, says Zambia Co-operatives Federation.
ZCF director general James Chirwa said irrigation farming among small and medium-scale farmers would increase productivity as cropping would be done more than once a year.
Chirwa said farmers across the country were faced with a challenge of low yield and food insecurity whenever there was poor rainfall in a particular cropping season.
"For us in the cooperative movement, we feel irrigation farming among our farmers is a solution to high crop production and this directly increases incomes at household level and reduces poverty," Chirwa said in an interview.
Chirwa said farmers needed more of perennial cropping activities that could be enhanced by irrigation farming methods than the Farmer Input Support Programme.
He said the government needed to channel funds from FISP to give soft loans to small and medium-scale farmers to acquire affordable irrigation equipments like water pumps.
Chirwa cited irregularities relating to the FISP administration amounting to K14.16 million in 2011 revealed in the Auditor General's report as funds that could have been prudently utilised in the area of irrigation farming.
The Auditor General's report exposed corruption in the issuance of FISP packs to unqualified recipients across the country, costing Zambia resources that could benefit the agriculture sector.
Labels: IRRIGATION, JAMES CHIRWA, ZCF
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ZCF urges review of inputs distribution system
By Gift Chanda
Tue 13 Dec. 2011, 11:59 CAT
DISTRIBUTION of farming inputs should commence at the beginning of each crop marketing season to prevent delays in their delivery, say the Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF).
And ZCF says the government should not wait for the opening of the next crop marketing season to start putting up additional grain storage facilities. In an interview, ZFC director general James Chirwa called for a review of the input distribution system to align it to the crop marketing season.
He said this would ensure that farmers receive the farming inputs on time.
Several farmers recently complained of not receiving inputs under the government-run Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) due to delays and the suspension of the distribution exercise by the companies contracted for the job.
"I feel the distribution of inputs should be synchronised with the crop marketing season to an extent where farming inputs begin to be distributed immediately the crop marketing season is opened," Chirwa said.
"This will prevent the current challenges farmers are facing."
Chirwa urged the government to ensure that farming inputs are at the farmers' doorstep two months before the planting season.
"We hope that in the coming year, this proposal we are putting forward of combining these two activities, farming input distribution and crop marketing, will be implemented so that we don't have these repeated challenges of delayed
inputs," he said.
And Chirwa said the government should also ensure that adequate measures for the next crop marketing season are in place.
He said the construction of additional grain storage facilities should not wait for next crop marketing season.
"We have to ensure that we do not have maize going to waste next year. We urge the government to use this time to plan adequately," he said.
Meanwhile, ZCF last week signed a US$ 1.5 million (about K7.5bn) deal with Nyiombo Investments on fertiliser distribution to smallholder farmers countrywide.
The deal would see the federation utilise its infrastructure across the country to distribute Urea and D-Compound fertiliser to its over 4,500 members at reduced prices.
Chirwa said the project, a supplement on the existing Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) by government, would see farmers buy the subsided fertiliser from Nyiombo not beyond K190,000 per 50 kg bag.
"The Farmer Input Support Programme only gives four bags, two top dressing and two basal dressing plus seed. We realised that the need of the members is not four bags but that is what the government can give," said Chirwa.
"So we needed to find a way of providing the shortfall; hence our partnering with Nyiombo to supply us with fertiliser so that we can sell it to the members at a reduced price. We have looked at prices that will not go beyond K190,000 per 50 kg bag. This is bearing in mind that the fertiliser that is selling in the provinces has gone to as much as K235,000 per 50 kg bag."
Labels: FISP, ZCF
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‘Eastern Cooperative Union mismanaged assets disposal’
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 7:26:15 PM
THE Task Force on Corruption has revealed that the Eastern Cooperative Union (ECU) management and board members mismanaged the disposal of assets and proceeds from the sale. And the Registrar of Cooperatives has written to the acting Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) limited chairman asking the old ECU board to handover to the new board.
In a letter addressed to ECU chairperson and obtained by The Post, Task Force executive chairman Maxwell Nkole stated that investigations were conducted to ascertain the allegations in the manner the assets were disposed off.
He stated that various people from ECU, ministry of agriculture and buyers of properties were interviewed.
"Findings were that the ECU management and the board members mismanaged the disposal of assets and proceeds from the sale. The delay in reporting on your (ECU) part has prejudiced these investigations in that at the time of investigations most of the documentation was lost. In the absence of the documentation, an attempt was made to obtain such information from former employees of the union, union bankers and the buyers of some properties. The information obtained was not so helpful," Nkole stated.
"It appears difficult to prefer any charges because evidence collected is not sufficient to warrant prosecution. The Director of Public Prosecution was consulted and he advised that if there is any outstanding claim against the buyers, ECU may take civil litigation to recover."
The letter was written on August 2, 2007 but was only received on May 26, 2009.
And in his letter to the acting ZCF chairman dated May 26, 2009, Registrar of Cooperatives Justin Mwansa stated that the new board of directors was duly elected at a special general meeting held on June 28 and had assumed all the functions of the board consistent with section 41(1), (2) and (3) of the Cooperatives Societies Act No 20 of 1998.
"This entails that the new board and leadership of ECU has to take keen interest in both assets and liabilities (new and old of the cooperative union.) It is therefore incumbent upon the new ECU board and management to ensure that management assists, together with the old board members prepare a position paper on ECU which should serve as a basis for handover notes," Mwansa stated.
"Now it appears that the old ECU board members have not been cooperative in this matter for which they can be held liable. It is at this stage that the new ECU board should rise to the occasion and demonstrate some leadership and ensure that the records are set straight."
Labels: EASTERN COOPERATIVE UNION, MAXWELL NKHOLE, ZCF
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ZCF president calls for cooperative ministry
Written by Agness Changala
Monday, July 06, 2009 11:47:57 AM
ZAMBIA Cooperative Federation (ZCF) president Elijah Munsanje has
called for the establishment of a ministry to focus on the promotion of cooperatives. And agriculture deputy minister Albert Mulonga said the cooperative movement can be used to cushion effects of the global economic crisis.
During the commemoration of the 87th International Cooperative Day and the 15th United Nations International Day of Cooperatives whose theme is
‘Driving Global Recovery through Cooperatives’ which fell on Saturday, Munsanje observed that the cooperative movement had not had the desired impact for the promotion of cooperatives in the country despite the creation of department cooperatives.
“This is due mainly to the lack of mobility by the key cooperative staff at both district and provincial level,” he said.
“Our appeal, as a cooperative movement in order to accelerate the growth of cooperatives in this country, is to have a full-fledged ministry of cooperatives as opposed to the current situation where agriculture takes more prominence in the ministry while cooperatives are almost non-existent.”
Munsanje said there was need to have a strong resource base to sustain business programmes for any meaningful development to take place.
And Mulonga said cooperatives could be a means for the people to cushion the global economic and financial crisis.
He said the vision of the government was to see a cooperative movement that was relevant to the current times of resuscitating the national economy.
“Therefore, my government would like to see the cooperative movement embracing diverse issues on matters of national importance like HIV and AIDS, MDG’s, youth and gender development and economic integration,” he said.
Mulonga said the government would continue to fund the department because cooperatives played a major role in bringing people outside Zambia’s mainstream social-economic development into the corridors of development.
He said to make positive strides in the cooperative movement, there was need to ensure that good governance and accountability were observed.
Mulonga said the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, was spearheading the review of the current Cooperatives Act with a view to strengthen the legal framework for cooperative development.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, ALBERT MULONGA, COOPERATIVES, ELIJAH MUNSANJE, GREAT DEPRESSION II, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE DAY, ZCF
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Small-scale farmers describe 2008 inputs distribution as ‘worst’ ever
Written by Fridah Zinyama, Gillian Namungala and George Zulu
Friday, January 02, 2009 3:15:35 PM
NATIONAL Association of Peasant and Small Scale Farmers of Zambia (NAPSFZ) has described this year's inputs distribution exercise as the worst since the fertiliser support programme (FSP) was implemented.
And Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF) president Webster Shamfuti has warned that he will take to court co-operatives that will be caught selling farming inputs under FSP.
In an interview, NAPSFZ president Rogers Phiri said this year’s fertiliser distribution exercise was the worst as the vulnerable farmers who are the intended beneficiaries had not accessed the inputs.
“The FSP this year has not reached the intended beneficiaries because of poor distribution mechanisms which have been implemented this year,” he said. “I fear that small scale farmers’ contribution to the nation’s food basket will be negatively affected this year.”
Phiri complained that most of the co-operatives that had applied for farming inputs had not been given the seeds and fertiliser.
“Even when the inputs are given to the farmers, they are in reduced quantities which are not enough for the farmers,” he said.
Phiri said agricultural production in Zambia would be negatively affected if the implementation of the programme continued in the same manner in the coming years.
“To avoid a reduction in contribution by small scale farmers, government should ensure that they revise the FSP and put in place distribution mechanisms that will work to the benefit of the farmers,” he said.
And Phiri added that this year’s food production would be further negatively affected due to high prices of fertiliser and rising interest rates which were making farmers operate beyond their budgets.
And Shamfuti who expressed sadness at the rampant reports of theft of farming inputs however, said statements being issued were not accompanied by facts.
“Let’s not turn into a talking industry. We must act so those with facts should bring them forward so that they are taken to court,” he said.
Shamfuti who said co-operatives had so many branches said it was difficult to identify co-operatives that were involved in theft of farming inputs.
“We have branches in co-operatives, primary society, district and provincial so when they talk of co-operatives, let them specify and name the co-operatives,” Shamfuti said.
He, however, said investigations were underway in areas were reports of theft had been reported.
Shamfuti said reports had been received from Choma, Monze and some areas in Central provinces on the alleged theft of subsidised faming inputs.
And authorities in Monze district have expressed surprise at the number of small-scale farmers claiming to have been left out of the government supported FSP despite having paid for the inputs.
Acting Monze district commissioner Holland Musanka said he was surprised at the high number of farmers flocking to his office to register their disappointment for not having accessed inputs under FSP.
"Some farmers have been coming to my office complaining that they have been left out from the FSP beneficiaries. But again these farmers have already made payments for the inputs, so I have asked for a thorough report from the DACO's office on how the distribution exercise was carried out because the government had allocated enough inputs to carter for the farmers who had registered and subsequently shortlisted to benefit," said Musanka.
And Bweengwa UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has threatened to organise a peaceful demonstration in protest against the non-availability of farming inputs in the district.
Hamududu said it was unfortunate that the government had allowed a non-workable system for the distribution of inputs.
Yesterday, agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo also expressed disappointment at reports of thefts of farming inputs in some areas.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, FERTILIZER, FSP, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, HOLLAND MUSANKA, MONZE, NAPSSFZ, ROGERS PHIRI, WEBSTER SHAMFUTI, ZCF
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