Grain farmers in the Zambezi Region have welcomed the Agribank Agronomy Loan Scheme.

Maize farmers are hopeful the new agronomy loan schemes will change the current challenges they face.

"It has been quite some time, the bank is not assisting the farmers in the region, but we are confident that with this new programme the farmers are going to benefit. We have seen a situation where our farmers are traveling from Zambezi all the way to Rundu or the Kavango East Region, where they are to be assisted, while the same Agribank office is in Katima here. So in this situation, we are calling for a change," said Edward Mataba, a farmer in the region.

He noted that the Zambezi Region has the potential to produce more maize and other grain produce, but for the past three years the yields have been low due to lack of fertilizers.

Another farmer, Sinte Mapenzi-Mwinga, urges Agribank to implement the scheme early to increase production.

"I am very happy because today I heard about this loan. If this loan could be given to us earlier, we would really appreciate it because it is a benefit for the farmers, and I heard that this loan doesn't need any age group, and there is no collateral because if you are given that loan, you can make it. We can use that loan for transportation; we can transport our bags from our villages to the millers or to the market. We can also use that loan to even fence our fields. We can also use that loan even to buy medicines to kill the locusts or the army worms; we can benefit from that loan."