Ignore FISP detractors, South farmers urged

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 07:42:07 +0000

By Annie Zulu

FARMERS in Southern Province should not be swayed by people who are telling them not to take part in the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) because such people were only bent on sabotaging Government projects in the area, PF Southern Province vice information and publicity secretary Trymore Mwenda has said.

Mr. Mwenda told the Daily Nation in an interview that shunning FISP would only disadvantage the small-scale farmers who were vulnerable while those that were urging them not to get the inputs were well-to-do.

He advised famers to instead take advantage of Government’s goodwill and be able to cultivate their fields under FISP.

“Famers should ignore people telling them to shun FISP because such people mean no good to them and in the end only farmers will suffer. So I urge the farmers to take advantage of this initiative by Government,” Mr Mwenda said.

He observed that Southern Province had seen notable response in faming inputs delivery following President Edgar Lungu’s directive for the speedy delivery of inputs under FISP and that people were receiving them.

Mr. Mwenda also commended President Lungu’s relentless efforts to ensure that the army worms that have been ravaging crops were eradicated.

He said the directive by President Lungu to the relevant institutions to step up the fight against the army worms’ outbreak showed that there was political will to win the battle.

“President Lungu has been so instrumental to the success of the agricultural sector in Zambia and needs the support of all well-meaning citizens,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Mwenda has called on Zambians to support President Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) government if the country was to achieve development this year.

He said the President had laid the groundwork in many areas, hence the need for support of all Zambians.

“We know a lot more will be achieved this year if all of us join hands and work for the common good. The President has laid the groundwork in many areas for instance the creation of the Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection which is crucial as it will ensure the country sustainably harnesses and harvests the water resource effectively,” he said.