Farmers in Southern Province have raised concerns over a new government directive requiring them to sell at least 10 bags of maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) before they can access subsidised inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
The directive, recently announced by the Ministry of Agriculture is being met with resistance from small-scale farmers who say the condition is unfair, particularly for those who experienced poor yields during the last farming season.
“This requirement is going to hit small-scale farmers the hardest,” said Cyprian Chimwendo Phiri, Executive Director of Go Back to the Land Zambia.
“Some households didn’t harvest enough to meet this threshold, and now they risk being left out of the input programme completely.”
Mr Phiri appealed to the government to reconsider the policy, urging flexibility to ensure food security for vulnerable families.
“Instead of a blanket requirement, let farmers sell what they can afford and allow them to keep enough for home consumption,” he said.
“We need a policy that reflects the realities on the ground Phiri acknowledged the government’s continued support through the FRA, which he credited with playing a role in Zambia’s bumper harvests in recent years.”
Mr Phiri however said famers are grateful for the FRA’s role in stabilizing the market and ensuring food reserves, but complained that the new condition may reverse some of the gains made.
He also called for timely distribution of farming inputs to ensure farmers are adequately prepared for the upcoming planting season.
“Inputs must reach farmers before the rains begin. Delays disrupt the entire farming cycle and hurt productivity,” Mr Phiri warned.