By OLIVER SAMBOKO
SUSPENSION of the E-voucher under FISP has the potential to disrupt the agriculture sector because it has left a number of benefiting small-scale farmers hanging in the balance, the Small-Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) Executive Director Boyd Moobwe has said.
Mr Moobwe said the government has made a wrong decision by suspending the E-voucher as it will result in delays in distributing farming inputs to the farmers in districts where it was being implemented.
Mr Moobwe said while SAFADA appreciated government move to equalise the distribution of inputs, it’s unfortunate that the Ministry of Agriculture is not fully decided because of the unresolved issues cited in the audit report.
He appealed to the government to address the farmers’ concerns regarding the issue of marking and fertiliser pricing which he attributed to be a high cost for farming.
Mr Moobwe also advised President Hichilema and his government to stop giving excuses but immediately get to work and deliver on their promise of lowering the cost of doing farming.
He said there is a lot of policy inconsistences in the UPND government which if not checked will result in the country failing to record a bumper harvest.
“President Hichilema and the Minister of Agriculture are contradicting each other on FISP programme but they should remember that issues to do with the agriculture sector needs to be addressed professionally and amicably other than pointing fingers at the previous administration,” said Mr Moobwe.
He said SAFADA is not comfortable with the way information is disseminated to the farmers, adding that it’s now time for the new government to desist from making excuses all the time but instead rectify the problems without blaming others.
