By CHATULA KAMPO –
THE Masaiti District Administration has directed all cooperatives in the area to assist farmers owed by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) with funds to buy farming inputs.
Several farmers in the district that sold maize to FRA during the just-ended maize marketing season have not yet been paid.
The farmers are appealing to Government to expedite the process of paying them so that they can buy farming inputs for the coming season.
District commissioner Joseph Mwambana said in an interview that he had instructed over 100 cooperatives in the district to assist farmers that had not yet been paid by FRA with funds to buy farming inputs.
Mr Mwambana said that 60 per cent of the farmers that sold maize to FRA during the just-ended marketing season had not been paid.
“Farmers have been complaining of the delays by FRA to pay them. My office however does not want to deprive them from buying inputs. I have instructed all cooperatives in the district to give all the affected farmers money to pay for farming inputs,” he said.
Mr Mwambana said it was time for cooperatives to use the accumulated funds to assist cooperators to pay for farming inputs.
He said some of the affected farmers were under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and were required to pay K400 for a pack containing fertiliser and seed.
The District Commissioner however urged all the affected farmers to remain calm as Government would pay them before the end of this month.