2 local firms win fertiliser contracts

GOVERNMENT has awarded two local suppliers a contract to supply 42,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser to Copperbelt farmers.

Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Luxon Kazabu said that a contract had been signed between Government and Nyiombo and Neria Investments Limited to supply urea to supplement the 50, 000 tonnes bought from Saudi Arabia.

Mr Kazabu said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that Nyiombo Investments was scheduled to supply the commodity this week for onward distribution to the farmers.

He said 50, 000 tonnes of urea which was bought from Saudi Arabia was not enough as most of it had been distributed to Luapula, Muchinga and other provinces.

The deputy minister was happy that many farmers in the country had received D Compound fertiliser and seed and were only remaining with urea.

Mr Kazabu, who is Nkana Member of Parliament, assured farmers who had not received their urea fertiliser that the farming inputs would be made available to them by the end of next week.

“As we are speaking right now Nyiombo Investments are sending 20, 000 metric tonnes of urea here on the Copperbelt and we are hopeful that by next week we will distribute urea to all those that have not received it,” Mr Kazabu said.

He said Lufwanyama District, one of the high maize producers, had received farming inputs and that urea would be delivered to the farmers in the area as soon as possible.