Chief Hamaundu predicts poor harvest

Chief Hamaundu of Pemba district in Southern province says the late distribution of fertilizer to the small scale farmers in his chiefdom will negatively affect the 2015 harvest season.

Chief Hamaundu claimed that his area has not received adequate urea fertilizer as top dressing but only got Compound-D as basal dressing.

The traditional leader noted that his area would experience a poor harvest due to the late delivery of top dressing fertilizer to farmers.

He disclosed the development in a telephone interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today through his representative, Jobert Matyola.

The chief stated that 20 percent of the farmers have already received urea in the area but he feared that crops for the majority of farmers will be spoiled because of lack of fertilizer.

Chief Hamaundu has since advised government to distribute fertilizer on time to all farmers to enhance food security at household and district levels.

He said agriculture was the mainstay of the people hence the need for government to put in place appropriate measures to provide inputs on time.