Gov’t Launches Nationwide Joint Inspection of Farming Inputs Ahead of 2025/2026 Season
The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry has today launched joint inspections of farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to ensure compliance with standards and readiness for the 2025/2026 farming season.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Trade, Mrs Lillian Bwalya, urged private sector players to adhere strictly to regulations governing the agriculture sector. Speaking through Acting Permanent Secretary Angelina Muluka at Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ), Mrs Bwalya emphasised that farmers, as the backbone of the economy, must be supplied with safe, legal and high-quality inputs.
The joint inspections are being conducted by officers from the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA), Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA), Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
ZMA Executive Director, Mr Humphrey Nkobeni, said the collaborative exercise demonstrated government’s unwavering commitment to protecting farmers by ensuring inputs are compliant, authentic and of the correct quality and quantity.
He noted that the institutions had formed a harmonised inspection force to reduce regulatory fatigue, improve efficiency and strengthen accountability.
NCZ Chief Executive Officer, Mr Chanda Mongo, announced that the company would this month commission its new blending and granulating plants, a state-of-the-art facility with a combined annual capacity of 432,000 metric tonnes.
He said the plant was designed to meet the diverse needs of farmers across Zambia’s varied soils and cropping systems, thereby reinforcing national food security efforts.
“This is a new era for NCZ,” said Mr Mongo. “We are responding to the different needs of our farmers and ensuring that fertiliser production is tailored to support higher yields and sustainable farming.”
In his vote of thanks, ZCSA Executive Director, Mr Gerald Chizinga, appealed to farmers to purchase fertiliser and inputs only from recognised and reputable outlets. He advised them to buy familiar and traceable brands, and to report any suspicious products or non-compliant packaging, labelling and measurement issues to relevant authorities.
Following the flag-off ceremony, Ms Muluka and representatives from participating institutions toured NCZ’s newly constructed fertiliser plant.
The initiative has been hailed as a milestone in promoting fair play, protecting consumers and safeguarding Zambia’s agricultural future.
