Farmers in Mafinga District redeeming FISP Inputs

By Vincent Chilikima (NAIS)

Farmers in Mafinga District of Muchinga Province have started redeeming agricultural inputs for the current 2022/2023 farming season under the government subsidized Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Mafinga District Agricultural Coordinator (DACO), Chewe Mutale, has disclosed to the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) that five thousand four hundred eighty two (5,482) out of a total target of eight thousand three hundred seventy (8,370), FISP beneficiaries in Mafinga District have been issued with authority to collect seed and fertilizer.

Vincent Chilikima of the National Agricultural Information Services reports that Mrs. Mutale has indicated that thirty eight farmers have so far redeemed their inputs and that the exercise is smoothly unfolding ahead of the planting activity which she has described as timely.

Mrs. Mutale, the DACO for Mafinga District has further disclosed that all the ‘D’ Compound and almost half of the Urea fertilizers for the FISP is already in the district adding that the process of redeeming the inputs by farmers has been accelerated so as to facilitate for timely planting and application of ‘D’ Compound basal fertilizer.

Meanwhile, Muchinga Province Meteorological Officer, Benjamin Mushimata has advised farmers only to plant if and when the soil has sufficient moisture to sustain germination and early growth because of the late onset of the rains which is in accordance to the 2022/2023 rain forecast for Muchinga Province.

Answering to a press query from NAIS, Mr. Mushimata has stated that planting should only be done after assessing the soil moisture in each particular area because the rainfall is still in isolated form.