About 1, 000 small scale farmers in Kabwe District of Central Province have not received Urea fertilizer under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for the 2021/2022 farming season, Kabwe District Agricultural Officer (DACO), Chishimba Mubanga has said.
Mr Mubanga said it was disappointing that Neria Investment Limited, the firm contracted to supply Urea fertilizer to 500 farmers in Kabwe, has not delivered 11, 043 X bags of the commodity despite being paid in full.
He lamented that the company’s General Manager, Martin Chaikatisha, was not reachable as his mobile phone had been constantly off since Monday.
However, Neria Investment Limited Regional Manager, Anderson Phiri, assured Mr Mubanga that the supplier has imported 16 trucks of urea fertilizer that are still marooned at the border because of clearance challenges.
He said his office is working tirelessly to salvage something from the 16 truckloads that are alleged to be at the border awaiting clearance into the country.
Dr Mubanga has expressed worry that if the fertilizer is not applied by next week most maize will go to waste. – ZANIS
