Govt to strengthen e-voucher system

Agriculture minister Dora Siliya

Agriculture minister Dora Siliya

Government says it remains committed to ensuring the e-voucher system of delivering inputs to farmers works.

Speaking when she met agriculture cooperating partners at her office today, Agriculture minister Dora Siliya says government believes this is the only way it will be able to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of inputs to the farmers.

Ms Siliya says ghost farmers and farmers who are not serious have in the past been part of the programme just for them to get the inputs and later resell sale them.

She says the e-voucher system is therefore one way of getting rid of ghost farmers.

Ms. Siliya adds that the e-voucher system also helps government to withdraw from being the actual deliverer of inputs by allowing the private sector to play an active role in the process.

And  USAID  Agriculture specialist, Mlotha Damaseke said among the issues of concern to them are the reformation of the e-voucher, all year round crop production and the intervention of the 500 000 metric tonnes of maize by the food reserve agency in the maize marketing.

And speaking when she met the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Ms. Siliya says the challenge for Zambia is to grow agriculture from just being a way of life to a business.

And IFAD country director Abla Benhammounche has pledged IFAD’s support to improving the agriculture sector in the country.

She says IFAD believes that the agriculture sector is the backbone of the country’s economy.

 

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