Farm Input Subsidy Distribution Ending Without Irregularities
The
Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) distribution exercise from main warehouses
to ADMARC depot across the country is expected to end by month end of December which
is in few days time.
As
of Monday 22nd December, 2014 the programe had reached 90.6% of
distribution of this year’s 150,000 Metric Tons of Urea and NPK fertilizers
from Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) Depots to
all unit markets.
Deputy
National Coordinator for FISP Mr. Osborne Tsoka said the distribution exercise
comes to an end in few days time without cases in relation to siphoning of fertilizer
bags, mixing fertilizer with sand or other challenges the programme experienced
in previous years.
Tsoka
attributed to the success of this year’s programme which was implemented in a
short period of time due to various efforts that Ministry of Agriculture has
put in place, “In previous years we could have cases of diversion of fertilizer
bags, this year, what we have done is that every vehicle living the three major
warehouses of SFFRFM of Chilimba Kanengo and Luwinga is being accompanied by
armed police officers at the same time we have satellite tracking.”
He
added that this tracking system has also prevented cases of mixing fertilizer with
sand. He also mentioned that influx of fake coupons has been controlled by strengthening
of security features of the FISP coupons.
He
said currently the programme has also included a village buying arrangement system
to reduce congestions in ADMARC depots which had in previous years resulted in
fights among farmers when trying to access fertilizer.
This
arrangement system has proven to be effective in some depots that were visited
by the media on Monday afternoon. Officials from Mponela and Madisi ADMARC
depots praised the system saying it has reduced congestion as farmers comes to
buy the inputs only on the day that was specifically set for their group village
head.
In
2014/2015 national budget allocated K50.4 billion for FISP targeting 1.5
million vulnerable farmers.
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