FRA owes farmers in Chinsali district in Northern Province over K1 billion.
And small scale farmers in the district have not benefited from the Fertilizer support Programe (FSP) because the District Agricultural Co-ordinator (DACO) is allegedly blocking the farmers to access the facility.
Chinsali MP (PF) Christopher Mulenga told parliament today that farmers in the area are in limbo as they do not know when government would release the moneys to the FRA.
Mr. Mulenga was contributing to the motion on Supply in parliament today.
Mr. Mulenga further bemoaned that funding to the agricultural sector has reduced by three percent from 8.8 percent in 2007 to about 5.8 percent in this year’s national budget.
He appealed to government to motivate farmers not only in Chinsali district but the country as a whole.
And Mr. Mulenga has bemoaned the high interest rates by financial leading institutions.
He said it is difficult for farmers to access soft loans from these financial institutions and appealed to government to consider reducing interest rates from the current 40 percent to minimal 30 percent or less in order to attract more farmers to obtain soft loans.
Mr. Mulenga said reducing interest rates would enhance production in various key sectors of the economy.
And parliement heard today that crime and brutal killings of innocent people by bandits has reached alarming levels in the boarder town of Chililabombwe district on the Copperbelt.
Chililabombwe PF Member of Parliament Easter Banda has appealed to the Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo to send more police officers to the area to safe guard the lives of people.
Ms. Banda told parliament today that suspected criminals allegedly from neighbouring Congo DR have terrorized Chililabombwe district.
She said people especricially those staying in farms are at high risk of being attacked by criminals.
