The Ministry of Agriculture has warned that farmers under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) who fail to supply 10 x 50kg bags of maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) as directed will be removed from the program.
Speaking in the National Assembly today, Minister of Agriculture Mtolo Phiri said the requirement was introduced as a way for FISP beneficiaries to contribute to national food security and nutrition.
Mr. Phiri also said that there were no delays in the delivery of farming inputs for the 2024/2025 farming season.
“To ensure timely delivery of farming inputs going forward, government has implemented a 100% rollout of the E-Voucher system starting from the 2025/2026 farming season,” said Mr. Phiri.
Meanwhile, the minister also announced government plans to boost maize production and productivity through the expansion of winter maize farming in irrigated areas during the dry season.
Mr. Phiri revealed that currently, 200,000 hectares of land are under irrigation, with small-scale farmers accounting for 11.6% and commercial farmers for 88.4 percent of this area.
Christabel Kamunu
