Maravi

Farmers besiege FRA Kalomo office over payments

Farmers besiege FRA Kalomo office over payments
By Martin Mashekwa
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:20 CAT

IRATE farmers who were last week promised to be paid for the maize they supplied to the Food Reserve Agency yesterday protested at the FRA main offices in Kalomo demanding prompt payment of their money.

The farmers blocked the vehicles carrying security officers and district commissioner, Omar Munsanje and sought redress for their late payments which had lasted close to a year over the produce they sold to FRA.

The late payment of the farmers, despite the government having disbursed all the necessary funds for them to be cleared off, emanated from suspected fraudulent maize buying practices that had been committed by some satellite buyers engaged by the FRA in the district.

A combined team of government security officers has been investigating the alleged financial irregularities in the last maize marketing season in Kalomo.

Calm only returned when farmers were again assured that the committee that was investigating the suspected fraudulent practices was currently reviewing its report, promising farmers that they would get their dues by next Wednesday.

Spokesperson for the farmers Peter Mafwafwa however urged the government to be considerate and stick to its assurance because farmers had been patient for too long and that an abrogation of the promise might tempt farmers to take the law into their own hands.

By press time, all the farmers who had come to Kalomo town had obliged and returned to their respective places.

Labels: FRA, KALOMO

posted by MrK @ 11:39 PM