Small scale farmers owed K500 million for maize supplied in the 2020-2021 crop marketing season in Zambia

Over K500 million is still being owed to farmers by the Food Reserve Agency(FRA) for maize supplied in the 2020-2021 crop marketing season. This came to light in Choma today when Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) President Jervis Zimba addressed farmers during an annual general meeting for the Choma-Kalomo farmers association. Mr Zimba said small scale farmers are usually the most affected by the situation as most earn their living from maize farming. He noted that the next farming season is soon approaching, adding that the tendency to pay the farmers during the rainy season negatively affects their farming activities. “FRA must have a heart for the farmers. As a union, we are giving them 14 days to pay. We will take them on. We know what their act says. We know what their invoice says,” Mr Zimba warned. However, Provincial Agriculture Coordinator Marx Choombe, who represented Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa at the meeting, could not immediately respond to the ...