The Ministry of Agriculture in Eastern Province has refuted reports that farmers need to have a mobile phone for them to access inputs using the e-voucher system.
Some farmers in Chipata told Breeze News that some officers from the Ministry of Agriculture are going round telling farmers to buy phones for receiving messages if they are to benefit from FISP, the Farmer Input Support program e-voucher system
They wondered why the e- voucher system requires them to have phones, adding that it will be a challenge for them as they do not know how to read.
But Provincial Agriculture Coordinator, Roy Lumamba told Breeze News that the reports are misleading because farmers only need to have a card that will allow them to access the inputs.
Mr. Lumamba explained that there is a system that will be put in place to inform farmers when the inputs are ready even if they have no phones.
He says the e-venture system will assist bring sanity in FISP because farmers will now be collecting fertilizer on their own unlike in the past when there were a number of complaints from farmers who used to get their inputs through their cooperative leaders.