BY GIDEON NYENDWA
PAYMENT of famers has come a bit too late because the planning and planting of various crops has been delayed which will negatively affect their business, Small Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) executive director Boyd Moobwe has said.
Mr Moobwe said that the grain was bought in August last year and the farmers were expecting to be paid a month after so that they could start preparing for the next farming for them to be five months after was going to be demotivating for them.
He said that what happened was unfair to the farmers because the delay would affect this year’s farming season.
Mr Moobwe said that there was need to improve on the way the payments were done because disappointing farmers all the time was going to cost this country a great deal one day.
He said that it was unfortunate that the government does not attach seriousness when it comes to the agriculture sector because in other sectors funds had been flowing but only the agriculture sector has been left behind.
Mr Moobwe said that if the government keeps on neglecting the farmers it would discourage farmers to stop growing maize or just supplying to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the near future.
He said that the farmers in this country are vulnerable and that was the only income they look up to and if the government kept on treating them that way then they were contributing to the poverty in this country.
Mr Moobwe said that the patience that the farmers had been exhibiting should not be taken for granted because the money that had been paid now could be channeled to other things because the planting season has passed
