By Onishias Maamba
The Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (CCJP) in Chipata has expressed its displeasure with the manner the Ministry of Agriculture is handling its business towards farmers.
Reacting to the Ministry’s decision to maintain only 4 districts on the E-voucher system during the 2018/19 farming season across the province, CCJP Chipata coordinator John Mthaziko Zulu says changing the system will not address farmers challenges.
Mr Zulu says the only problem that led to farmers receiving their inputs late last farming season was due to the Ministry of Finance failure to release money on time and not the E-voucher platform.
The CCJP Chipata coordinator holds that whatever system government will introduce is not important provided farmers keep receiving farming inputs late, the status qua will remain the same.
Last week, provincial Permanent Secretary (PS) Chanda Kasolo revealed that Nyimba, Sinda, Mambwe and Vubwi districts will be on the E-voucher system during the 2018/19 farming season, while the rest will revert to the traditional FISP.
Mr Kasolo said the the decision was arrived at following the many challenges that marred the E-voucher system during the last farming season.
