PETER SICHALI writes
AGRO dealers mistreating farmers risk having the licences revoked, Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba has warned.
Dr Kalumba said government respected farmers and it anticipated that agro dealers should follow suit.
He was reacting to reports that some agro dealers were giving farmers underweight fertilizers, and worse still others were being given any inputs at all despite swiping their cards.
‘‘Government respects farmers and all agro dealers that we have given responsibility to serve farmers must equally serve them with respect and dignity,
“Therefore any agro dealers found wanting must be dealt with by the law and have their licences revoked, we cannot continue working with such kind of irresponsibility agro dealers as a province,’’ Dr Kalumba said
Dr Kalumba said reports of some agro dealers giving farmers, underweight bags of urea fertilizers and not giving farming inputs after swiping their cards were disturbing and would not be condoned.
‘‘Such kind of agro dealers should not be allowed again to enter into partnership with government because they putting the credibility of government in disrepute,
“What must happen now is that agro dealers should not make our farmers suffer instead should quickly give them their inputs so that maize does not go to waste,” He said
Dr Kalumba appealed to all agro dealers to start giving farmers inputs as government was doing everything possible to pay them swiftly.
He said it was unethical for agro dealers to make farmers redeem their money when they did not have inputs to give them.
‘‘We have received disturbing reports of some unethical agro dealers who are making farmers swipe without providing them with inputs,
“The practice is unethical and against the code of ethics for agro dealers as it has potential to delay their farming activities,’’ Dr Kalumba said.