.LUBINDA

By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

GOVERNMENT will soon launch the mobile delivery and tracking system (e-Voucher) to distribute subsidised seed and fertiliser through private-sector suppliers to targeted farmers.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda said the e-Voucher system will be launched in 13 districts soon as pilot districts.
“After the ministry Indaba last week, we are going to announce the 13 districts that will act as pilot districts for the e-Voucher system,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said this would be done as part of the ministry’s intention to accelerate diversification.
Mr Lubinda said last week Friday, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock held its second indaba at which it discussed various ways of accelerating agriculture diversification.
He said the ministry would soon be engaging seed producers and signing contracts with them on providing farmers under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP) with different types of seed.
The ministry therefore selected 13 districts that it would use to experiment the e-voucher system to supply farmers with different type of seed.
Mr Lubinda said diversification was important to grow the country’s agriculture sector.
Under the e-Voucher system, farmers would receive a voucher scratch card offering a farmer with a variety of inputs and an agro dealer would supply those inputs and receive instant payment for it.
The system is supposed to eliminate challenges of corruption and delays by cutting off the cooperatives that currently handle most issues between a farmer and an agro supplier.