Farmers in Nchelenge district of Luapula province are angered by the delay by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to pay them for the maize supplied to the Agency.
The irate farmers have threatened to hand the ruling PF a protest vote in the January 20, 2015 presidential by-elections due to the delayed payments.The farmers stormed the District Commissioner (DC) Royd Chakaba’s office yesterday around 11: 00 hours demanding to be paid their dues.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Edwin Mulenga warned that the government must move in and pay the farmers or grapple with the protest vote during the forthcoming presidential by-election.
The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Nchelenge has only paid K2, 616, 450.00 out of K8, 620, 010 worth of white maize supplied by farmers in the district.Mr. Mulenga of Ntoto satellite depot said the government must seriously look into the plight of farmers and help them get their hard earned money from the Agency.
He said the government should ensure the farmers are paid their money and warned that any further delay would warrant a protest vote.He complained that the small scale farmers have become a laughing stock because they cannot sustain their families and later on send children to school.He charged that the government should prevail and provide leadership over the matter by paying the farming community to end the misery and shame they have been subjected to.
He said the government should endeavour to make farming profitable in order to grow the agricultural sector through a readily available and accessible market.He observed that agriculture in the area is on the surge and has become the main economic stay following the depletion of the fish stocks in the Mweru-Luapula Fishery.He bemoaned the delayed payments to the farmers and expressed worry that this may adversely affect the yields for the 2014/2015 farming season.
Mr. Mulenga advised that the government should open up milling plants in the area as a way of increasing the market base for the farmers because the FRA has failed them.
The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has only paid a paltry 30 per cent of the K8, 620, 010 worthy of white maize owed to the small scale farmers in Nchelenge District.
FRA assistant marketing manager Handins Mwale disclosed this during a heated meeting with angry farmers that stormed the DC’s office.Mr. Mwale said the agency has paid K2, 616, 450.00 of the total cost for the produce supplied representing a paltry thirty point five per cent.
He however said K21, 000 of the balance has been remitted into the National Credit and Savings Bank (NATSAVE) account at Nchelenge branch for further payments.
Meanwhile, Nchelenge District Commissioner (DC) Royd Chakaba yesterday pleaded with the angry farmers and assured them that the government had already sourced the money to clear the backlog.
Mr. Chakaba said the PF government appreciates the contribution of the small scale farmers towards food security of the country and its general development agenda.
He said the government is working on payment modalities before the farmers start getting their money and urged them to remain calm.
The 21st century has no time for farmers or manufacturing these are 19/20th century trades
This is a service industry era, these farmers should know that even though they are owed these monies they are not a priority to a Government in PF which does important things first.
They shall be paid. in MMD farmers were never paid for a year so 4/5 months is actually better for PF
Thanks
PF is paya farmer for sure, and yet they want cheap wunga.
Can some one in UPND please organise a legal team to represent these suffering farmers to lodge a complaint against FRA and government in court for non payment. They should demand payment with interest.
If people like GBM has won numerous cases against the government for delayed payment after supplying goods and made millions out it, why not the poor farmers?
Please you people out there mobilise a legal team to help the poor farmers get their money to send their kids to school.
Going forward, every farmer should be given a government post dated guaranteed cheque to ensure that they get their money once FRA has bought their maize.
I am appealing to HH and his team to seriously look into this matter and help the poor…
@mushota
If you think Scott ‘s family came to Zambia to work in the service industry then you better get your head checked.
People who know the value of farming like HH, have made billions out of it and are still making over £10,000 a day out of farming.
Look at the Tongas , awakened bembas and Ngonis; they are moving into Northern, Luapula and Muchinga areas to take advantage of the abundant rains and make huge amounts of money out of farming while the owners of the land concentrate on fishing.
If you want quick millions go farming. Even in the UK the farming community has the highest number of richest people on average.
Wanzelu,
I am not underestimating the Importance of farming, all I am saying is that, it is a dying trade.
Third world countries aspire to be First world country and none of the first world countries rely on Agriculture.
Namboard, Bata, Zambia Sugar, these are in the rear view mirror in comparison to rising service industry . You
Don’t go to college to become a farmer, you go to become a Doctor, Engineer and of course less labour intensive jobs is what
You are probably undertaken.
Here is the naked truth, we can survive without Farmers but we cannot survive without the service industry.
These farmers must learn to stand on their OWN. Subsidies they have been accustomed to are making them
Reliant to being spoon-fed.
It is a dying industry, you agree?
Thanks
…
@Mushota
Please spare us your myopic view of how economies work.
Man kind has always survived for generations without your so called service industry.
If you consider a case of Hong kong, without the farmers across the world providing the necessary ingredients to their service industry, it would be no where.
Fact:
Service industry can not tick without a farmers and manufacturers’s products.
Its this belief in service industry as opposed to manufacturing and farming that has distorted real economic performances across the developed nations. Countries like Germany which strikes a balance between the two are doing just fine when others are struggling.
China ‘s economy today is the fastest growing economy due to manufacturing and farming.
Get out of that cocoon iwe…
Farmers you have the right to sure your displeasure using the ballot box. show PF the red card simple.
You PF, please pay the farmers. You are busy fighting while innocent farmers are suffering. Pay them now.
Just wait for a month and vote out this government of liars. They don’t understand what farming is all about when it should be the engine of Zambia’s economy. vote in farmers into government.
Mushota has obviously never heard of organic food and her statement goes to show the shallow level of her peanut brain.
I have and it is synonymous with AGriculture, I will give you that. I dont suppose you work in a farming field do you?
You probably work in a service industry, why?
The best chicken you will ever eat is from Europe though not Africa,. try the drumsticks, in zambia they were tasteless for me.
Also chicken in AFrica eat anything from poo, ants, anything, Europe chicken eat only food meant for the chicken.
OOps I am getting carried away with food now
Thanks
(BB 2014)
And can we get our pension dues for labour services offered to government 30 years ago
Am one of the affected farmers. They cheated us that payments will be done in two weeks time now we are talking of three months. Instead of paying farmers they are busy organising money for the convension to go and fight. Please before you finish yourselves out pay u our money….
When elephants fight its the grass that surfers…..dont worry you will taken care of once pf chooses their president
Where are the elephants? I can only see hyenas fighting for scraps!
And you think the PF will chose a candidate? Good joke!
They will be still squabbling like children while the election is on.
This should certainly make them vote wisely in 2 months time.
Thats why zambia needs HH.
Period
hh come to save the suffering citizens of zambia who are reduced to beggers plse let us go fight for our rights vote hh vote upnd all zambians
the problem with us ‘zambians’ is that we put old people into power take all those old ones to old age homes .they do not understand what is going on with farmers or any other secter’.we need fresh mind now .HH FROM upnd he is the right man .pf failed us .put a young man not mudaala. gie farmers their money with interest