FRA still owes farmers K198bn, reveals Siame

FRA still owes farmers K198bn, reveals Siame
By Gift Chanda
Mon 19 Dec. 2011, 13:59 CAT

FRA still owes farmers about K198 billion for grain sold to the agency under the previous crop marketing season, says spokesperson Mwamba Siame. The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) purchased over 1.7 million metric tones of maize under the 2011/12 marketing season valued at over K2.2 trillion.

"The agency has so far paid out over K2 trillion," Siame said in a statement on Friday. "The agency awaits government funding to clear the balance."

She said the agency last week used its own resources to pay K58.5 billion to farmers that had previously not been paid.

"The payments were made to farmers in Eastern, Southern, Northern, Luapula and Central provinces for maize and rice purchases for the 2011/12 marketing season," she said. "This leaves a balance of about K198 billion in the respective five provinces."

She said farmers in Western, North Western, Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces have all been paid.

Farmers in most parts of the country recently complained over delayed payments by FRA for maize they sold to the agency.

Delays in paying farmers even triggered protests in Mufumbwe where a farmer was allegedly severely assaulted by a police officer amid the fracas.

In an interview, Zambia Federation of Cooperatives (ZFC) director general James Chirwa urged the government to review the crop marketing system to avoid delays in paying farmers in future.

He said paying farmers on time would ensure sustainable production as farmers would adequately prepare for the next farming season in time.