The Department of Community Development in Vubwi District has commenced the distribution of farming inputs under the Food Security Pack (FSP) for the 2022-2023 farming season.
District Acting Assistant Community Development Officer, Abraham Phiri has confirmed the development stating that the inputs are targeted at 2,124 vulnerable but viable beneficiaries.
He noted that the district has so far received 100 percent of maize and soya bean seed, in addition to 1,920 50 kilograms bags of Urea and 640 of D-Compound fertiliser.
He disclosed that the district still has to receive a balance of 3,812 of fertiliser to be delivered soon.
“It should be noted that the pack size for these beneficiaries, each is getting one bag of urea and two bags of D-compound, 1×10 kg maize seed and 1x10kg soya beans seed. So far we have received 1,920, giving us a balance of 204 on Urea,” he said.
He added that the district Community Development office could not wait for the 3,812 balance of fertiliser to be received in order to start the distribution because farmers are behind time on their farming schedule.
“So for whatever we have received, we have got no time to wait for the distribution exercise to start almost immediately so that farmers can have ample time to prepare their fields and possible planting as the rains have already started,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries Trasizio Phiri of Tebulo village in Chief Pembamoyo’s area has commended the government for the timely distribution of FSP to the district.
The 69-year-old said since he was enlisted on the programme due to old age, the FSP programme has sustained his household with food security adding that he cultivated 9 bags of soya beans in the 2021-2022 farming season.
And another small scale farmer, who is also a beneficiary of the FSP programme, Rosemary Phiri of Chigwaya village in the same chiefdom, has called on the government to consider increasing the number of fertiliser bags one has to receive.
“I’m grateful for this programme as it has helped me and my grandchildren with food, but maybe the government can assist us more by adding another bag of Urea fertiliser so that we can cultivate on a larger scale than we currently are,” she said.
FSP is a social protection programme under the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services that is aimed at providing food security to vulnerable but viable farmers who are selected on the basis of old age, disability and child led household among others.