Farmers cry foul over FRA delayed payments

By PRISCA LUMINGU

SMALL-SCALE farmers in some parts of the country have expressed concern over the Food Reserve Agency’s (FRA) delay in paying them for maize supplied during the ongoing marketing season.
Farmers in Chongwe, Kabwe, and Kapiri Mposhi have stressed that despite the agency’s assurance that they would be paid within two weeks of delivery, they are still waiting for their money more than a month later.
In separate interviews with Millennium Radio, some farmers explained that they delivered their maize to the FRA depots in July 2025, but to date no payments have been made.
The farmers warned that continued delays could negatively impact crop production in the coming season, as many rely solely on maize sales to reinvest in their farming activities.
In July, the FRA announced that it had mobilised K500 million for payments to farmers, stating that the funds had already been sent to commercial banks to facilitate transactions for those who had supplied maize and rice to the agency.
However, many farmers said they are yet to see any disbursement, stating that the delay is creating financial hardship in rural communities.
The farmers have since appealed to the government and the FRA to expedite the process, saying delayed payments risk discouraging small-scale producers from participating in future maize supply programmes.
And Zambia Agriculture Rural Intuitive executive director Gilbert Mpanga has called on government to speed up the payment process following its assurance that farmers would be paid within one week of delivery
Meanwhile, an effort to get a comment from the FRA public relations coordinator John Chipandwe failed as his mobile phone went unanswered.