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.
