• 1, 024, 434 farmers will benefit from FISP.
• This is the same exact number as last year.
• A total of six bags of fertilizer per farmer will be given out.

Minister of Agriculture has disclosed that 1, 024, 434 farmers will benefit from the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) during the 2022-2023 agriculture season.
In his Ministerial statement to Parliament, Reuben Phiri says this is the exact number that benefited last year, stating that contributions towards the program will remain K400 and farmers will be advised when to start making deposits for FISP.
Mr. Phiri says government has decided that the FISP for the next agriculture season will be implemented using the direct input supply modality due to the uncertainty surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war which has affected fertilizer supply on the global market.
“Revision of the input pack under the program will be as follows: a total of six bags of fertilizer per farmer will be given out of which three will be basal dressing and three top dressing. A 10 kg of maize seed will be given to all the beneficiaries.”
“A supplementary bag of either 1 by 25 kg of soya bean seed or 1 by 20 kg of groundnut seed will be given to half of the group meaning 500, 000 farmers will get soya beans and the other 500, 000 will get groundnuts,” Mr. Phiri revealed.
He also disclosed that the Ministry has commenced procurement of inputs for the 2022-2023 agriculture season and that the public will be updated on the progress of the procurement process.
“The Ministry together with Smart Zambia has also embarked on beneficiary register verification exercise in order to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries are registered and benefit from the program,” he added.
He assured that inputs will be delivered on time.
Meanwhile, Mr. Phiri disclosed that government has closed the bidding process for companies intending to supply fertilizer for the 2022-2023 farming season and the exercise will be completed in the next few days.
“Closure for receiving bids from people who would like to supply fertilizer to this country, today was the last day and we are very certain that in the few days we will have completed the exercise and inform the suppliers to give us the fertilizer, the fertilizer will be given on time,” Mr. Phiri said.