By SIMON MUNTEMBA
OVER K600 million balance owed to farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the last farming season has been disbursed to banks.
And FRA Executive Director Chola Kafwabulula announced that they had bought over 947, 000 metric tonnes of maize in the last crop marketing season.
Mr Kafwaulula has urged farmers not to panic because the money which was released by the government on Monday is now ready for collection in the banks throughoutthe country.
“There is no need to panic because the money is now waiting for them in the banks,” he said.
Mr Kafwabulula also said that the FRA working with existing banks had come up with initiatives of mobile banking to facilitate payments in districts where there were no banking services.
He explained that mobile banking facilities were being provided on a daily basis in Chadiza, Vubwi and Sinda as farmers would not have to travel long distances to get their payments.
He said the FRA bought over 947, 000 metric tonnes of maize in the last crop marketing season valued at K2.8 billion.
Mr Kafwabulula said the highest quantity of the maize bought was from Northern Province at over 185, 000 metric tonnes, followed by Eastern Province with over 168, 000 metric tonnes.
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