Angry farmers back at Mpulungu DC’s office demanding to be paid or give back their maize

Angry Mpulungu farmers today besieged the office of the District Commissioner demanding that government pays them for the maize they supplied the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) last August.

The farmers who on Monday threatened to lock up the offices of the DC’s and District Agriculture Coordinator (DACOs) if they were not paid by today, were only restrained by the presence of Police officers in riot gear who kept vigil at the DC’s office as early as 08:00hrs this morning.

However, the farmers could not be deterred as they went ahead and stood their ground demanding that they still wanted to be paid their money or be given back their maize.

They lamented that the delay in getting their money had sent them and their families into untold suffering.

Some of the farmers vowed that if the current situation continued, they might be forced to sell their produce to other interested buyers locally and in neighbouring countries.

The farmers, mostly from Chitimbwa, Vyamba, Chinakila, Kopeka and Mpulungu wondered how they were going to buy fertilizers and other agro – inputs in time if they could not be paid their money now when the rainy season was just around the corner.

But addressing the farmers, district commissioner Juliana Chuzu said the government through the ministry of finance released K300 billion to enable the FRA pay farmers around the country.

She appealed to the farmers to be patient with the government saying the delay in payment was not unique to Mpulungu district but a countrywide problem.

Ms Chuzu promised the farmers that they should be getting their money in two weeks time.

On Monday, District agriculture coordinator Kennedy Sinkamba said the department of agriculture was equally worried by the delay in paying the farmers.

Mr Sinkamba was quoted saying that the delay by FRA to pay the farmers in the area defeats the concept of food security at the household level as farmers were forced to sell their food reserves as a survival strategy.

Mr. Sinkamba added that from the 1,300 farmers who supplied maize to FRA, only 130 were paid on 22 August 2012, when part of the money was released.

ZANIS