Government has flagged off the distribution of farming inputs in Nakonde district under the Food Security Pack (FSP) programme for the 2022/2023 farming season.
The FSP inputs are provided by the department of community development.
Nakonde District Commissioner, Marvelous Sikapizye who flagged off the exercise yesterday, advised beneficiaries to use the inputs for the intended purpose in order to fight poverty.
Mr Sikapizye said the inputs are meant for the less privileged people in the society.
“Please we are begging as a government, do not sell these inputs. I am emphasising that you should use them accordingly. There are a lot of people that need these things but you are lucky to be one of the few beneficiaries,” he said.
He explained that the government is committed to uplift the living standards of the people of Zambia through such programmes.
Mr Sikapizye further said the beneficiaries were not required to deposit any money in order to receive the inputs.
“You have not paid anything towards what you have received. Tell me, did you? The officers identified people whose livelihoods are not stable and thought of enhancing their lives,” he added.
And Nakonde Assistant Community Development Officer, Maxon Tembo, disclosed that the department has not yet received all the allocated inputs.
Mr Tembo said the department has however decided to commence the distribution exercise while waiting for the second consignment.
He added that each beneficiary will receive three bags of 50kg fertiliser, one 10kg bag of maize seed and one 10kg bag of legumes.
“They will get two bags of urea and one bag of D-Compound, plus a 10kg of maize seed and in terms of legumes we have received cow peas and we have also received groundnuts, meaning each beneficiary will only receive one part of legume so whoever gets groundnuts will not get cowpeas,” he explained.
Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries, Exhildah Nachula, who is also a widow, thanked the government for the gesture stating that it will enable her to take care of her children.
“As women, we are very thankful because they are helping us when they give us fertiliser. Some of us do not have husbands and others are old,” she said.