2017/2018 Fisp coupons arrive from UK
The first consignment of Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp) coupons for the 2017/2018 agriculture season arrived in the country through Chileka Airport in Blantyre yesterday.
The coupons, to be distributed immediately, will cater for beneficiaries from eight Southern Region districts, namely Nsanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Mangochi, Phalombe, Mwanza and Blantyre, according to Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Joseph Mwanamvekha.
Speaking when he received the consignment, Mwanamvekha said that the second and last consignment will be dispatched from United Kingdom (UK) where the coupons are being printed possibly by Monday next week and they will be in the country in the next two weeks.
“If you go back to records, you will observe that this is the earliest we have received the first batch of coupons for the past three Fisp seasons.
The minister added that the early arrival of coupons has a lot of benefits, for instance, farmers will have enough time to source money for top up and will therefore redeem the inputs without panicking, a development which will lead to early planting.
“Just to put this into perspective, in the 2014/2015 Fisp season, all coupons arrived in one batch on November 14 2014 and in the 2015/16 Fisp season, the first consignment arrived on November 17 2015 while the second one arrived on November 24 2015.
“In the 2016/2017 Fisp season, the first consignment of coupons arrived on November 27 2016 while the second consignment arrived on December 12 2016,” said Mwanamvekha.
He also touted the 2017/18 Fisp, saying that it will be a reformed programme as both the private sector players involved and the farmers will benefit as special consideration has been made on farmer seed top up.
Government will spend about K36.15 billion in Fisp which is set to benefit 900 000 households.
Since the programme targets poor farmers, government has fixed coupon values for the maize seed pack at K6 000 while the legume seed pack is at K2 050. On fertiliser, government is contributing K15 000 per 50 kg bag.
Fisp coordinator Osborne Tsoka said on average, the fertiliser will costs between K18 000 and K21 000 on the market, so, the farmer will pay the difference.
“The arrival of the coupons marks the beginning of the implementation of the 2017/2018 Farm Input Subsidy programme,” he said.
So the whole Mulahko wa alomwe minister of agriculture Mwanamvekha left his office just to witness the arrival of these coupons? Are you kidding me?
Obviously the minister had nothing better to do at his office and thought this was the best way to spend the tax payers money………..kkkkkkkkkk