Small-Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has launched an initiative aimed at assisting farmers who are not on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to purchase fertilizer.
In a press statement, SAFADA Executive Director Boyd Moobwe said the agency will collaborate with international partners to provide fertilizer at 50 percent cash up front, with the remaining 50 percent to be paid after harvest.
“The farmers will have to sell their maize to SAFADA through the Zambia Commodity Exchange in order to facilitate smooth loan recovery. This arrangement is designed to provide input support without collateral, interest or hidden costs,” Mr Moobwe said.
He explained that farmers will be required to affiliate with SAFADA and meet shared transport costs to access the fertilizer. In return, SAFADA will provide training in crop farming through an eight-week online agriculture course.
“The agriculture training will be implemented in collaboration with the Organic Farm International and the University of South Bohemia which is based in the Republic of Czech and with support from local experts from the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia,” he said.
According to Mr. Moobwe, SAFADA is targeting to reach over three Million farmers by providing fertilizer and basic skills to increase crop yields and sustainable incomes, ultimately addressing poverty in rural communities.
Meanwhile, Agricultural Expert Oliver Kandela Bulaya described the initiative as a timely innovation that will benefit farmers who may have resources but fail to access support under FISP.
“I believe many farmers will be able to uptake this program and be able to pay back the loans because this is what is very important to sustain the program,” Mr. Bulaya Said.