ISPAAD re-strategises

BOTHO BAPUTAKI
Correspondent | Friday June 21, 2013 00:00

The move is meant to help the farmers in the most beneficial way  under the ISPAAD programme, councillors here heard.Subsistence farmers are those who cultivate a maximum of 16 hectares and use small equipment.Farmers under this category will be assisted with 100 percent subsidy for hybrid seeds to cover a maximum of five hectares and open pollination seeds to cover the remaining hectarage to a maximum of 16 hectares.They will also be assisted with free fertilisers to cover up to five hectares for either liming, basal or top dressing.

They will further be assisted with free herbicides to control weeds up to five hectares for either pre-emergence, post-emergence or control of difficult weeds such as cynodon dactylon and mokhure, to name a few.The council also heard that emerging farmers will be those who cultivate a maximum of 150 hectares and use medium sized equipment.Government will assist them with 35 percent subsidy on the cost of hybrid or open pollinated varieties of seeds up to a maximum of 150 hectares.

The farmers will also enjoy 35 percent subsidy on the cost of herbicides to control weeds up to a maximum of 150 hectares for pre-emergence, post-emergence or control of difficult weeds.As for commercial farmers (over 150 hectares and using large sophisticated machinery and implements), they will enjoy 30 percent subsidy on the cost of fertilisers and seeds up to a maximum of 500 hectares.

The council also heard that farmers married in community of property will be treated as one entity, and that those who would benefit from the programme and abandon their fields will be blacklisted. Tabona said the aim of the presentation was to get councillors to help the ISPAAD office inform the public on the changes.He also pleaded with councillors to inform the public to register with ISPAAD on time so that their office knows how many people will be on the list.