LATE DELIVERY OF INPUTS IRKS FARMER

By NATION REPORTER
GOVERNMENT should give us the four bags of fertilizer which we have been getting in the previous regime instead of delaying us with their unfulfilled promises, Mushindano small scale farmer Erick Mwelesha has charged.
In an interview, Mr Mwelesha said the 2021/2022 farming season would be a disaster due to the delay in delivering farm inputs by the UPND administration.
He said the UPND administration could have been ashamed of giving farmers the usual four bags of fertilizer because they have realized that it was not possible to give more as they promised during campaigns.
“They promised us 12 bags of fertilizer but they have failed to fulfill that, so let them just give us the four bags that PF used to give us. All I can say is that they are ashamed of themselves to give us the four because they cheated us but now time is running out. We are in October and yet there are no inputs for farmers,” Mweleshi said.
Meanwhile, Patriotic Front vice president Given Lubinda said it was shameful that the UPND won the elections based on falsehoods.
Mr Lubinda said many Zambians were regretting voting for the UPND because of backtracking on most of its campaign promises.
He said now after realizing that their falsehoods have been exposed, Mr Lubinda said the UPND administration had instructed Ministry of Agriculture officials not to distribute fertilizer claiming that they were auditing fertilizer depots, just to buy time.
“UPND won based on fake promises and President Bally is backtracking on most of his promises. By now PF would have delivered fertilizer to farmers and the UPND administration should also deliver the 12 bags of fertilizer as promised during campaigns.
“Farmers are waiting not only for 12 bags of fertilizer but to also buy a 50 kg fertilizer bag at K250, youths are waiting to be employed. Zambians have really been fixed,” Mr Lubinda said.
Mr Lubinda said farmers risked having their maize going to waste following government delay in supplying sacks and paying for the maize that had already been delivered to FRA depots.
He said the delay in delivering Fertilizer and other inputs will have adverse effects on the 2021/2022 farming season.