Farmers in Mkushi District have bemoaned delayed payments by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for maize transactions of the current crop marketing season.
One farmer, Golden Musonko of Kakumo Cooperative, said farmers had expected to be paid within two weeks after delivering their maize in early July.
Mr Musonko complained that five weeks had lapsed since farmers delivered their maize, adding that the FRA had not paid any of them.
Another Farmer, William Njelekwa of Milimo Cooperative, described the situation as worrisome, saying the farmers needed the money to prepare for the next farming season.
Mr Njelekwa appealed to the Government to help speed up the payments owed to the farmers.
In response to the farmers concerns, Mkushi District Commissioner (DC), Luka Mwamba, assured that Government was doing everything possible to facilitate for the quick payment.
Mr Mwamba said he had received an assurance from the Provincial FRA office that farmers would soon be paid.
He also mentioned that by press time, maize supplied by the farmers had exceeded its target as 11, 500 metric tonnes (230,000 by 50 kg bags) of maize had been bought by the FRA.
He said the situation had resulted in the shortage of grain packing bags, adding that more bags were expected to be brought in by the FRA soon.
And in reference to the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP), Mr Mwamba disclosed that the District was earmarked to receive 35,588 bags of D-compound fertilizer.
He said 34,188 bags of urea fertilizer would be allocated alongside 17,094 maize seed, as well as 28 metric tonnes of ground nut seed.
He added that the FISP inputs were expected to be delivered to the district soon.
My Zambia,how long does it need to take for your Citizens to be poverty free, its been 50yrs
Please pay those poor fellows their monis. Toiled for it since October last year. I recall the V/president saying that Farmers will be paid cash and no more delayed payments. Can someone do the Job Plse.
They should have sold to Eastern Province, or they should have prayed for a bye in their area before selling the maize!