Fertilizer in cups, not medas, says Jean Chisenga

…says farmers are downgrading from the infamous medas after the failure by companies contracted to deliver and distribute the commodity have virtually failed to meet their contractual obligations

By NATION REPORTER

FARMERS in Mambilima Constituency are now sharing fertilizer in cups instead of the infamous medas after those contracted to deliver the farming inputs have failed to deliver and distribute both Compund D and Urea fertilizer, Jean Chienga has disclosed.
Ms Chisenga, the Patriotic Front (PF) Mambilima Member of Parliament says farmers have resorted to sharing fertilizer in cups, having been downgraded from medas because those contracted to deliver and distribute the commodity have largely failed to meet their contractual obligations.
Ms Chisenga has accused the government of discrimination in the supply of fertiliser in the northern region and fears that the new dawn administration has repeated the same mistake of last season where areas that received adequate rains were tightfisted the commodity.
Ms Chisenga said she has since advised people in her constituency to brace themselves to receive the inputs in even cups in 50-kilogramme bags.
She said in interview that some beneficiaries of FISP had been struck off from the list on the belief that that they belonged to Patriotic Front (PF) and replaced with people who were sympathetic to the UPND administration.
She said UPND did not have regard for agriculture yet many people including those living in Mambilima relied on growing own food and that for sale.
“People in Mambilima rely on agriculture for survival. Agriculture is their mainstay economic activity yet this government led by UPND has deliberately delayed in providing them with farming inputs. Go on the ground and you will find this as a reality,” Ms Chisenga said.
She warned that hungry people were angry people and government should blame itself if farmers in her areas reacted indifferently towards the UPND administration.
“Medas (small tins) are back. People are receiving fertiliser in small containers instead of bags. But it is not just about food that people of Mambilima are concerned with. There are many areas which the ordinary person in my constituency feel angry about but it is a matter of time before they react,” she said.
Ms Chisenga said it had become clear that UPND never cared about anyone who seemed not to be on their side hence punishing the people of Mambilima by way of punishing her as their representative.