File Photo: Farmers sleeping for days on fertilizer depots waiting for cheap fertilizer last year

Government through the Ministry of Agriculture is yet to determine the number of beneficiaries of this year’s Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).

AIP coordinator, Justin Kagona on Tuesday failed to disclose the number of beneficiaries before the parliamentary committee citing they are waiting to see how much fertilizer will be supplied.

Government will purchase AIP fertilizer for 2023/24 farming season from local suppliers thus according to Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary Dickxie Kampani.

He said 13 suppliers have so far been identified and Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets – PPDA has already given a no objection saying the negotiations and awarding of contracts to fertilizer suppliers will be done within this month.

Meanwhile, the ministry has told the committee on that some of these suppliers have 87 000 metric tons of fertilizer readily available in the country while revealing that some are failing to purchase more due to Forex challenges.

The program aims to reduce poverty and ensure food security at household and national levels byincreasing access to improved farm inputs.

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