By IRVIN MUYUMBWA
GOVERNMENT has given Neria Investments a week in which to complete the distribution of farming inputs as they are behind schedule compared to other distributors. Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo Phiri said despite having supplied the D compound fertiliser, Neria Investments still has not supplied Urea fertiliser which is critical for the farmers.Mr Phiri said the ministry keeps pushing the company to fulfill its obligation because having already been paid for the exercise; government wants the company to perform or pay back the money.Mr Phiri said the company only has a small quantity of not more than 50, 000 metric tonnes mostly Urea to be distributed across the country which is creating anxiety.And Mr Phiri said he is happy that the two companies contracted to supply inputs namely; NCZ with 13, 000 metric tonnes has delivered everything while Alpha with about 37, 000 metric tonnes is above 85 completion with assurance to be done by Friday next week.Meanwhile, the Civil Society Scaling-up Nutrition (CSO-SUN) has advised Government to consider giving farmers who have not yet received their farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme early maturing seed varieties in view of the erratic rain season experienced.CSO-SUN Country Coordinator Mathews Mhuru says it will be a waste of resources and money for the government to give the farmers who have not yet received their input late maturing variety of seeds at this time of the farming season considering the poor rainfall pattern experienced and the lapse in time for planting.Mr Mhuru says his organization is aware that government has delayed to deliver fertilizer and seeds under FISP to farmers in some parts of the country, hence the need for those in charge to replace the maize seed with other crops that will grow with the current rainfall pattern.
