Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya
Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya says Provincial Agricultural Coordinators and District Agricultural Coordinators who have failed to perform their duties in the implementation of the E-voucher system will be dismissed.
And Ms Siliya has assured the nation that the money meant for the e-voucher system will be released by September 2018 for effective implementation of the e-voucher system for the 2018/2019 farming season.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy call on Lusaka province Agricultural Coordinator, Dr. Linos Musimbwe in Chongwe district before touring farms, Ms. Siliya says top management at the ministry will sit down by March to review the performance of this farming season and that provincial agricultural coordinators and district agriculture coordinators found wanting will be dismissed.
She says some of the challenges that farmers have experienced during this farming season could have been avoided if these officers were on the ground.
And Ms. Siliya says President Edgar Lungu has directed her and Finance Minister Felix Mutati to ensure e-voucher funds are ready and released to the engaged banks by September.
She says government has learnt lessons from the teething challenges in the implementation of the e-voucher system during this farming season.
And Lusaka province agricultural coordinator Dr. Linos Musimbwe informed the minister that Chongwe district has about 17, 000 farmers of which over 10, 000 farmers have already redeemed their inputs from agro dealers.
Dr. Musimbwe says the other challenge farmers have in the district is late payment by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for the maize they supplied.
Ms. Siliya later toured some farms in Kabeleka Village in Chongwe and addressed farmers under the Busoli Multi-Purpose Cooperative.