CHRISTINE CHIHAME, Kitwe
LUFWANYAMA district has received 24,083 bags of D-compound fertiliser under the farmer input support programme (FISP).
Acting district commissioner Aswell Lubungo confirmed the delivery of the fertiliser, which is currently stored at the warehouse awaiting distribution.
He said the 50kg bags will be distributed to the beneficiaries once the district receives a balance of 570 bags.
“We are happy that we have received the bags of D-compound fertiliser allocated to the district for this farming season, and it is in our storage shed. We could have received everything but the shed was full,” Mr Lubungo said.
He said he is happy with the early delivery of the fertiliser as it will assist farmers in the district adequately prepare their fields before the onset of the rains.
Mr Lubungo said Government is determined to enhance food security at district, province and national levels.
He said Government wants to ensure that farmers benefit from their agriculture produce by making significant profits.
Meanwhile Pemba district in Southern Province has received 10,000 bags of D-Compound fertiliser under the FISP,
And CHOMBA MUSIKA reports in Choma that over 150,000 small-scale farmers across the province are expected to access farm in-puts during the 2015/2016 farming season.
Giving an update on the distribution, Pemba district commissioner Reginald Mugoba said his district has so far received 10,000 of 50Kg bags of D-Compound from the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia.
“As a district, we are happy that D-compound has been delivered. We are just waiting for the arrival of seed anytime,” Mr Mugoba said.
He said the district is expected to receive over 19,950 bags of the commodity, in addition to top dressing fertiliser, which would be delivered soon.
Mr Mugoba said the people of Pemba are grateful to Government and President Lungu for ensuring that farm inputs are distributed on time.
On the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) purchase of maize, he said “farmers were smoothly selling their maize in all the 11 depots dotted across the district.”
“The K75 floor price for a 50Kg bag of maize, has cheered farmers who have described the new price as profitable compared to what the private buyers were offering,” Mr Mugoba said.