Leader of opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the South has asked government to stop collecting money from farmers in absence of Fertilizer under the Affordable Input Programme (AIP).

Nankhumwa request follows report that some farmers especially in the South paid money for AIP fertilizer but they are yet to acquire the fertilizer.

“I have been reliably informed that the Tonse Alliance government, through its agents, is currently going village by village collecting money for AIP fertilizer from farmers whilst promising to give them fertilizer at a later date.

“This is unprecedented in the history of fertilizer subsidy programme in this country, and it is just plain wrong. Why should the government take money from poor farmers without giving them the commodity when the rains are already here, and they are already late in applying the fertilizer in their fields? This is very shocking and a wrong approach by President Lazarus Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance government,” said Nankhumwa.

He added: “Already, the hunger situation among many households has reached alarming proportions. It is, therefore, abhorrent for the government to demand money upfront from poor farmers, amounting to K30, 000, and never give them the required commodity that they desperately need for crop production.”

Effort to talk to Minister of Agriculture Sam Dalitso Kawale proved futile.

Meanwhile, farmers are spending days at SFRFM deport to access the AIP fertilizer.