Farmer’s Cooperative Union in Livingstone has expressed excitement with government’s release of K400 million towards payment of famers who are owed by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
Union Chairperson for Livingstone and Kazungula districts, Rwinick Mapanza told Radio Musi O Tunya News that the gesture will encourage farmers as they prepare for the 2017/18 season.
He adds that the payment will also enable farmers who were not captured on FISP through the e-voucher system to buy the required implements.
Mr. Mapanza however indicated that Livingstone had not been affected by the delay by FRA to pay farmers because they had sold their maize to breweries.
He states that Kazungula farmers were the most affected, adding that they heavily depended on FRA to pay them in order to buy farming inputs for this farming season.
Mr. Mapanza has further urged government to stop issuing part payment but release all funds at once; saying farmers were already late in their preparations.
Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya on Tuesday told parliament that the ministry of finance released K400 million towards the payment of farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency during the 2017 marketing season.
She says the latest disbursement of funds by the ministry of finance leaves a balance of K117 million which is expected to be paid to farmers in the next few days.
IMF demanded retirement of internal debt to even consider bailout, thats what these announcements are about,
Lets hear from the farmers when they receive their payments,
Had the govt given farmers a fair price of just K1.5 as oppossed to the paltry K1.2 per kg of maize we wouldn’t be in this mess we are in right now! Farmers would’ve had enough funds from selling the maize on the open market because maize buyers and millers wouldve been compelled to sell above their exploitative prices of K1.1, K1, 90ngwee and even as low as 80ngwee I this is where dullness in the ministry of finance and agriculture has sadly prevailed and mark my words as a result come 2021 farmers will not forget this great betrayal of the late Great MCS vision!
Bipolar farmers today they are happy with the govt, lets wait for next week
I think the actual farmers are the ones who should be expressing excitement not these chaps. These payments are over a year late!!
Over a year you come to give funds this time when farmers have already jewed through nkongole. Shame on you
The one incharge of this ministry bushe balikwata na kalibala? When I look at what is happening to farmers I feel for them. My Papa is a peasant farmer in Northern Zambia and is not on the newly raunched e-vourch system so he never got the inputs this farming season thank God he never depleted the last season’s inputs. Mama Dora muposeko amano mu kutangata bashi ma farmer pantu one day tukatola umupamba wa tolele chibale. Insala ni ndiminwa tempulilwa mukwai efyo abasungu balanda.