Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Smart Zambia Institute National Coordinator Permanent Secretary Dr. Martine Mtonga has disclosed that about 700, 000 farmers have started receiving inputs under E-voucher, representing 71.4 per cent of the 1 million farmers that are targeted to benefit in the 2017/18 farming season.
Dr. Mtonga says about 924, 000 farmers have so far been registered for the E-Voucher while about 659, 868 farmers deposited their 400 kwacha each.
Speaking at a joint media briefing in Lusaka, Dr. Mtonga says government has extended the deadline for receiving the 400 kwacha to 19th January 2018 that will see government supporting 86 percent of all the farmers that applied for E-voucher.
He explains about 575, 617 farmers have so far redeemed their cards after paying the required K400.
And Dr. Mtonga has further revealed that about 300, 000 farmers did not deposit.
Meanwhile Dr. Mtonga says government disbursed a total amount of 215 million kwacha to Atlas Mara, 252. 1 million kwacha to ZANACO Bank, INDO Bank K70.1 million, Eco bank K61 million Barclays Bank K94.46 million, and UBA Bank K175. 3 million to distribute electronic voucher (e-voucher) cards to farmers.
Meanwhile Agriculture Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa says the Ministry of Finance has released K1.149 billion to be loaded on electronic voucher cards to enable farmers in 39 districts access inputs under the electronic voucher (E-voucher) system.
Mr. Shawa says out of the K1.2 billion about K989 million has been availed to the six banks and two financial institutes it has engaged as agents in the E-voucher programme.
