Traditional leaders in Mchinji have called on their communities to ensure that agricultural inputs accessed through the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) Farm Inputs Loan Programme are utilised for their intended purpose.
NEEF is currently disbursing farm input loans in the country and Mchinji is one of the districts whose farmers are benefiting.
Senior Chief Mlonyeni speaking at Tembwe urged his people to make sure they do not disgrace him by using the inputs on purposes not intended for the programme.
“The programme has allowed us to make sure that we boost our households’ food security. It will be shameful to see others sell the inputs and fail to pay back the loans,” said Mlonyeni.
Group Village Head (GVH) Robert of Traditional Authority (TA) Zulu also appealed to communities to make sure they use inputs they have received in their fields so that they harvest and pay back the loan.
“You need to pay back the loan in time and this will help you to get many more times the amount you have acquired now,” said GVH Robert.
A beneficiary of the loan Susan Kanyanga from Nabulenje Club, Mlera Village in TA Mlonyeni said the loan has given them a starting point.
“As farmers, we had problems on how we are going to get fertilizer considering the high prices. With the loan from NEEF we have got a starting point,” said Kanyanga.
NEEF Member of the board Jacob Mderu said the programme has so far made progress as many smallholder farmers have been reached out to.
“Each passing day the number of beneficiaries is increasing. I am very grateful as this shows that we will reach out to the targeted farmers as planned,” said Mderu.
NEEF set aside K150 billion for the farming season and wants to reach out to over 400,000 farmers.
