Kalomo input suppliers exploiting farmers – MP
By MAKOKWA CLARA MUYENDEKWA
DUNDUMWEZI Member of Parliament Edgar Sing’ombe has expressed displeasure that farming inputs suppliers in Kalomo are exploiting farmers.
Mr Sing’ombe said suppliers of inputs are only allowing 30 ton trucks to load from inside their places and charging K1.50 for every bag loaded.
He feels that the situation is just enriching the suppliers while farmers end up finding it difficult to get inputs.
And Mr Sing’ombe disclosed that 18 out of 41 farming cooperatives have received fertiliser while the remaining ones still do not have the commodity.
He explained that this will delay the farmers’ crops to grow in Chilala area of the constituency as it is already the month of January.
Mr Sing’ombe added that Chilala bloc which has 3, 000 farmers just has 543 farmers benefitting from the Farmer’s Input Support Programme (FISP).
He complained that the number of beneficiaries on the programme has not increased since 2012 and that the situation has disadvantaged many other eligible farmers.
And Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa said his office will take the concerns seriously.
He also disclosed that the province has enough stock of inputs for farmers who are on FISP.
“We will visit the shed where inputs are being kept because there are good volumes of the commodity and there is no reason of keeping available stock at the shed,” said Mr Mweetwa.
He also observed that the farmers’ plants will not wait for the bureaucracies at play hence the need to act quickly.
Mr Mweetwa fassured farmers that they will see the difference as government wants farmers to have good yields through a smooth flow of inputs.
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