Maravi

Nakonde farmers protest over FRA's unpaid dues

Nakonde farmers protest over FRA's unpaid dues
By Ntalasha Mutale
Thursday February 21, 2008 [03:00]

OVER 200 farmers yesterday protested in Nakonde over the non-payment of more than K2 billion owed by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). The farmers had supplied maize to the FRA during the last farming season. District Commissioner Clement Sinyinda said the farmers threatened to beat him up if he did not pay the remaining amount of money FRA owed them. However, police managed to calm the situation.

“I tried to explain to them that I am not the one who releases the money. I just facilitate the payment from FRA,” he said.

Sinyinda said the issue was with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Auditor General’s office and were investigating the farmers that had allegedly sold rotten maize to FRA. He said there would be no payment to farmers who would be identified as culprits.

Sinyinda blamed the cooperative union for not conducting the purchasing exercise properly.

“The farmers should wait until the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture gives a go ahead to pay them. Those that will be paid are those that have been identified as genuine sellers,” he said

Sinyinda said over 400 farmers had not been paid. But one of the farmers speaking on condition of anonymity said FRA was tricking the farmers. He said the farmers would take severe action against Sinyinda and FRA.

But Northern Province Permanent Secretary Gabriel Kaunda said FRA would not afford to pay farmers at the moment because it only had about K484 million in its Nakonde account and the debt was about K2.1 billion.

And Northern Province Minister Lameck Chibombamilimo asked FRA not to pay the farmers until it was established that the maize they were getting from neighbouring Tanzania and Malawi was not rotten.

He said action should be taken against farmers that would be culprits because they were distorting the government’s budget.

Labels: FARMERS, FRA

posted by MrK @ 9:30 AM