Maravi

Farmers’ body swindled me, claims chief Kabinga

Farmers’ body swindled me, claims chief Kabinga
Written by Agness Changala and Gillian Namungala
Sunday, January 18, 2009 6:10:33 AM

CHIEF Kabinga of Mpika district has allegedly been swindled by the Peasant and Small-scale Farmers Association of Zambia (PSSFAZ) out of K41 million meant for fertiliser delivery.

And Mkushi district commissioner Mwila Kunda said over 100 farmers in the area have not received fertiliser from PSSFAZ.

In an interview yesterday, Chief Kabinga, who owns a farm in Mkushi, said he paid the K41million to the association for the supply of 342 bags of fertiliser.

PSSFAZ president Rogers Phiri and the association’s secretary general could not be reached for a comment as his mobile phone was not reachable.

“I paid K41million for the supply of 342 bags of fertiliser and the money I paid was the 50 per cent down payment on my annual seasonal loan of which the other 50 per cent is supposed to be paid after the 2009 harvest,” he said.

Chief Kabinga said when he made the payment, the district coordinator for the association Willie Siazemo assured him that he would receive the fertiliser before the end of November last year.

He said on December 14, 2008, the association only delivered 90 bags of fertilizer and that when he called Phiri to find out why, he was assured that the remaining 252 bags would be delivered.

Chief Kabingae said after he realised that the fertilizer was not delivered since the beginning of this year, he called Phiri who said there was a legal hitch with his bankers and requested him to travel to Lusaka.

“But since I came here, his phone has been off and when I contacted Chewe, the association secretary general, he promised to do everything possible to ensure I get my fertiliser,” he said.

Chief Kabinga said his 34 hectare field had suffered because the maize was now turning yellow and he demanded a refund by January 20 this year.

And Kunda said over 100 farmers had not received their inputs from the peasant association despite paying a lot of money for the commodity.

“A lot of farmers are stranded because the association has not given them the fertiliser despite paying for it,” Kunda said.

He explained that the association told him that Zanaco had refused to release the money this season as it owed the bank money from last year’s inputs.

“The union owed the bank money because some farmers who got fertiliser last year did not pay back the money,” said Kunda.

Labels: CHIEF KABINDA, FERTILIZER, FSA, MWILA KUNDA, PSSFAZ

posted by MrK @ 6:12 AM