N/West Farmers happy with FRA payments
ZANIS—Kalumbila district Farmers Association Chairperson, Nsubula Hachipabeenda, has welcomed the move by government to release funds to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to facilitate payments to farmers who supplied maize to the agency during the 2020/2021 marketing season.
Speaking to ZANIS in Kalumbila, Mr Hachipabeenda said the move by government is a positive one.
“Government has made a positive move, we have been on several platforms urging government to release the money to help FRA to pay the farmers on time and now that we have been heard, we are very happy,” he said.
Mr Hachipabeenda explained that although it appears that the farmers are receiving the money late, the funds will go a long way in this year’s farming exercise.
“The farmers are affected of course like we have indicated several times but it is a good move, better late than never,” he said.
And Mr Hachipabeenda added that it has been a challenge to communicate to farmers in the district due to lack of a community radio station.
“We have a challenge, we do not have a radio station, it is very difficult to inform our stakeholders on things that are happening and that is why we have cried for such a facility in our district”, he said.
Mr Hachipabeenda noted that in order to ensure that information reaches the intended audience, various stakeholders, several government officers who include camp officers, block officers and health personnel are engaged to help disseminate the information.
He also confirmed receiving calls from farmers who reside in far flung areas, who wanted to confirm if it is true that funds have been released by government to FRA.
“I have received calls from farmers in far areas to confirm if what they have heard is true, meaning that word is going round,” Mr Hachipabeenda said.
He said farmers may start going to the bank starting today because that is when they are getting the message clearly.