In a proactive move to safeguard farmers’ interests, officials in Central Province are ramping up efforts against illegal agro-dealer operations.
Central Province Permanent Secretary, Dr. Milner Mwanakampwe, has called on District Agriculture Coordinators in the province to closely monitor agro-dealers as a response to a scandal involving the illegal repackaging of essential farming inputs.
This initiative follows a disturbing incident in Chibombo District, where two individuals were apprehended at Chisamba Turnoff Police Post for illegally rebadging and repacking 138 bags of seeds and fertilizers intended for farmers under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP). 
Dr. Mwanakampwe expressed his disappointment, particularly over the involvement of a respected community religious leader in these fraudulent activities. Preliminary investigations reveal concerning statistics: over 109 sampled bags of fertilizer contained counterfeit products.
Mubita Mubita, a sales agronomist with Western Seed Company Zambia LTD, confirmed that tampered packets bearing the company’s brand were not authorized or modified stating, “We must ensure that these improperly repacked bags, which misrepresent our contents, do not compromise our products’ reputation and the integrity of FISP programs.”In a related response, Chisamba District Commissioner Joel Mboyoma expressed shock at the illegal activities, affirming the need for strict monitoring of agro-dealers suspected of supplying dubious farming inputs.
Commissioner Mboyoma has further encouraged farmers to visit the District Agriculture Coordinators’ Office to verify the legitimacy of agro-dealers providing FISP inputs.
He said the Zambian government, under President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership, remains committed to addressing the ongoing hunger crisis in the nation, ensuring farmers receive their inputs promptly for the upcoming planting season.
Meanwhile, Central Province Police Commissioner Ms Charity Munganga urged members of the community who may have received questionable farming inputs to report these incidents to the police, stressing the importance of protecting farmers and the agricultural sector.Together, with vigilant monitoring and collaboration, we can ensure that farmers receive the support they need to thrive.
