By Isaac Zulu
Government has paid out over K4 million to farmers who have so far supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Kapiri Mposhi District in the 2022/2023 crop marketing season.
This accounts for 100 percent payment to all the farmers who have so far supplied maize to the FRA.
Kapiri Mposhi district commissioner Francis Hasalama has disclosed this in an interview, saying that the Food Reserve Agency has so far bought a total 14,704 by 50 kilogram bags of white maize from 14 satellite depots across the district.
“With payments we are at 100 percent. Todate we have paid K 4,117, 120 because every farmer has received their money and they received their money within two to five days upon supplying maize. This is a commendable achievement, which has never happened before,” Hasalama said.
And Hasalama has urged more farmers in the district to supply maize to the FRA as the Agency is still buying the commodity to meet the one million tonnes target for the national food strategic reserve in the 2022/2023 crop marketing season.
“The FRA is offering a good price and paying farmers on time. Therefore, farmers should take advantage of this to improve their income and productivity,” said Hasalama.
And farmers who sold maize to the FRA in the district have commended government for paying them on time.
Speaking on behalf of other farmers, Rubby Liteta said unlike in the previous marketing seasons, the timely payment will allow farmers to prepare for the next farming season.
“We used to spend a lot of time on chasing for money from FRA which came even one year later instead of preparing for the next season. This change should be continued by the new dawn administration,” said Liteta.
