Government is set to start paying farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the 2024/2025 crop marketing season by October 31, 2025.
Eastern Province Minister, Peter Phiri said all farmers who sold maize to FRA will be paid before the onset of the rain season.
He was speaking yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Mwase of the Chewa people of Lundazi district.
And the Provincial Minister has called on the farmers to be on the lookout for fraudulent agro-dealers selling fake seed and fertilisers.
Addressing the community in Mwase area, Mr Phiri disclosed that the government has conducted a stock-take on the farmer input distribution programme.
Mr Phiri said over 250,000 ghost farmers have since been removed from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
Meanwhile, senior Chief Mwase has expressed gratitude for the initiative.
The traditional leader said government means well for the people of Zambia but expressed disappointment over the actions of some people entrusted with the affairs of government.
Why is the govt/fra failing to keep their promise of payin farmers on time??
I am a beneficiary for fisp but it is not everyone who took maize fra who is on fisp and they are depending on that money to buy their inputs to use for this farming season.. According, to the minister of green something he said in parliament dat people must start planting the first week of november following the weather forecast for 2025-2026 season