Kaoma farmers go unpaid for weeks contrary to 2-3 days Presidential directive

He told ZBT that the high volume of maize deliveries is also putting pressure on the system, as the rate at which farmers sell their maize is not matching the speed at which payments are processed. Ng’ambi added that the verification and scrutiny of documents remain necessary to prevent fraudulent claims, but called for FRA to strengthen the manpower handling the process.

“It is a management issue and FRA may need to “beef up staff” responsible for processing and approving farmer payments,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ng’ambi said his recent interaction with farmers in the field confirmed that some were still complaining about delayed payments despite FRA announcing billions of kwacha in payments.

“I am also urging farmers to verify their details on the FRA system before delivering their maize because incomplete verification can cause further delays at the point of sale,” he said.

Ng’ambi stressed that timely payments are critical to maintaining farmers’ confidence in the crop marketing system and ensuring that producers can immediately reinvest in their farming businesses.

Article by Philip Sinkala