GOVERNMENT WARNED AGAINST PHASING OUT FISP

The Zambia Institute of Agro-ecology and Nutrition Studies has warned that phasing out the Farmer Input Support Program-FISP- without first conducting an empirical and comprehensive study to determine its impact on small-scale farmers and the country’s food security will be a mistake on the part of government.

Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo last week told Parliament that government will phase out FISP and replace it with affordable loans for farmers.

However, institute Executive Director Samuel Sakanya believes that without FISP, Zambian small-scale farmers will be unable to survive, and has called for an empirical analysis of the current and future state of the agriculture sector before phasing out the programme.

Mr. Sakanya tells Phoenix News that the agriculture minister should explain the grounds for his policy choice and whether stakeholders were consulted before opting to phase out the programme and to replace it with loans.

He has proposed that government postpones the phasing out of FISP in order to allow for more consultations and avoid experimenting with the country’s food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.