11 Nov 2020

The Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security will administer the Integrated Support Programme for Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) for the current ploughing season with revised guidelines and controls.

A release from the ministry says the seed subsidy would be applied across all farmers’ categories including subsistence, emerging and commercial farmers.

It says subsistence farmers would be provided with two bags of fertilisers per hectare for a maximum of four hectares while those who tested their soils would be assisted with fertilisers on the basis of their results.

Further, the release says fodder seeds would be provided at 50 per cent subsidy for maximum of four hectares.

 However, subsidy on herbicides would be availed to emerging and commercial farmers only, the release explains.

The ISPAAD horticulture component, to be applied only to viable projects, would be provided at a contribution of 50 per cent government and 50 per cent farmer either as an individual or a group. It would be implemented by CEDA.

It further emphasises that emerging farmers would be assisted with 35 per cent subsidy on the cost of seeds, fertlisers and herbicides for a maximum area of 150 hectares while their commercial counterparts would be assisted at 30 per cent for 500 hectares.

Open pollinated variety seeds, it says, would be obtained through extension offices across the country while the hybrid type would be sourced through the coupon system.

Only farmers registered up to July 31 would eligible for assistance and two weeks extension would be allowed from November 11 to 25 for those who missed the cut off point of registration, says the release further explaining that there is no registration cut off point for horticulture. ends