Zambian Minister of Community Development Steven Manjata has said that a 50 percent subsidy on farming inputs is not enough for the majority of small-scale farmers in the southern African country.

The minister was quoted by The Post newspaper as saying on Friday that he will be engaging cabinet so that his ministry could be availed more to fund the community based food security pack program.

The government has allocated 15 billion kwacha (about 4.84 million U.S. dollars) to the food security pack program in this year's budget to cover 19,000 small-scale farmers vulnerable but viable, the report said.

The fertilizer support program is the main strategy that the government uses to support the small-scale farmers with farming inputs through a 50 percent subsidy.

Manjata said while the fertilizer support program is important, most of the poor peasants in remote areas could not afford to look for the other 50 percent for inputs.

"Most people in Zambia have no capacity to pay 50 percent input costs. I've argued about that in cabinet. So I want my ministry to be given enough," he said.

He hope the government will increase the subsidy, saying "this program has now reached every district. I hope my colleagues in cabinet will support my proposal."

Source: Xinhua