Minister of Finance Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu has disclosed that government has allocated ZMW 5.7B (£221M) for the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to support over one million small-scale farmers in the 2020-2021 farming season.
Presenting the national budget in the National Assembly, Dr. Ngandu said government had also allocated ZMW 517.5M for the national food strategic reserve.
“Mr. Speaker, the Economic Affairs function has been allocated a total of ZMW 21.5B,” he said.
“Notable expenditures include ZMW 5.7B on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), targeting one million farmers across the country”, he said.
“Further, for the country to be food secure, I have set aside ZMW 517.5M for the national strategic food reserve”, he said
Dr. Ngandu also announced support to the livestock sector by promoting a programme to restock and control cattle diseases.
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“Sir, to promote the livestock sub-sector, Government will continue with the Livestock Stocking and Restocking Programme out of which at least 30 percent of the beneficiaries are youths”, he said
“In the first half of 2020, a total of 3,100 households benefitted from the Programme. With regard to animal health, a total of 283,000 animals have been vaccinated out of the 2020 target of 290,000 under the Livestock Vaccination Programme”, he said.
He also announced a loan programme in the agriculture sector to primarily benefit young people.
“Mr Speaker, Government is implementing the Zambia Aquaculture Enterprise Development Project aimed at stimulating a viable aquaculture sub-sector”, he said
“In 2020, the Project, through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), has disbursed loans worth ZMW 6.3M to 637 aquaculture entrepreneurs”, he said.
“These loans are targeted at empowering youths and women “. he said
Source: Mwebantu
