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By Scoop Reporter
THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) yesterday launched Ulimi Services Input Scheme in Kapiri Mposhi District with over a thousand farmers in attendance who witnessed the launch and the signing of the MOU between the ZNFU and NATSAVE Bank the financial services provider.
The initiate is a blueprint of ZNFU President Jervis Zimba’s drive to push farmers to produce more by taking agriculture as a business venture as opposed to producing solely for consumption.
According to Mr. Zimba, this will not only make farmers get value for their produce but will also contribute to national food security and economic emancipation through foreign exchange earnings from agriculture products.
The initiative has seen 43 districts being chosen and targets farmers with between 1 to 5 hectares of arable land. Two products under Ulimi Services are available for the farming community;
1) ZNFU Ulimi Starter Pack; this pack targets to support household food security and nutrition. Farmers that get this starter pack will have access to; 2.5kg maize seed, 11kg Urea and D Compound, 40kg lime, 3 kg legumes (either soyabeans, beans, groundnuts and others), inoculant, molibdenum, and an insecticide.
How it will work?
The maize seed will be planted on a 20m by 30m portion of land and the farmer will harvest between 8 to 7 50kg bags enough for a family to feed till the next harvest and the legumes will be planted on a similar plot size of 20m by 30m which harvest can be traded to purchase the pack for next season.
The Starter Pack is intentionally designed to grow maize and legumes in rotation as a good agronomic practice which addresses sustainability concerns. The Pack will retail for ZMK1,550 (farmer will have access to maize and legume seed and associated inputs the pack).
This is open to all farmers and NGOs, Faith Based Organizations, Government Departments and the like can secure these for their targeted vulnerable groups.
2) The ZNFU Ulimi Input Credit Scheme
This Scheme is targeting farmers that produce for commercial purposes and cultivating above 1 hectare of land (100 by 100). The farmer will pay 50 percent of the cost and the financial services provider will advance the other 50 percent credit to ensure the input supplier is paid in full and the farmer will pay off the balance after harvest.
Why the credit scheme?
Farmers through the years have had no access to finance that would support farm production and even the existing input support services only serve 1 million farmers out of 3 million registered farmers. Who is looking out for the 2 million farmers left out? These input schemes are complementary to the already existing support and are internal solutions to the existing gaps.
The ZNFU is aware of the challenges that have befallen farmers in the past and have swiftly addressed the concerns. The schemes will be transacted through a cashless payment method using USSD mobile money codes across all networks and payments to suppliers will be done by the banks upon the farmer’s confirmation of receiving the inputs in totality.
This method further promotes financial inclusion as the traditional financing mechanism integrates with the mobile payment system that has been growing rapidly over the years. Through this program, farmers are assured of accessing quality inputs from reputable agribusiness companies that are members of the ZNFU.
Mr. Zimba believed this is long-overdue as more farmers will be helped.
“This will ensure that farmers are assisted with this programme. Farmers have been swindled too much and this will help stop the scourge. We expect to see increased productivity from this initiative, even among small scale farmers,” Mr. Zimba said.
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