Food Reserve Agency starts cash payment of maize on delivery

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has announced that farmers would be able to receive their payments upon delivery of their maize unlike in the past.

FRA Board Chairperson, Kelvin Hambwezya, said this had been activated to enable the agency favourably protect farmers from incurring losses as they sell their crops.

Hambwezya said this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday.

The development, he said would ensure that farmers get value for their maize and further result in the agency adequately replenishing the national strategic food reserves.

“This decision will also enable farmers prepare for the upcoming farming season and pay for the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) Programme that is already in progress countrywide,” Hambwezya said.

He added that the agency was confident that this initiative would further boost agricultural productivity during this year’s farming season which would result in sustained national food security.

Hambwezya said the measure had been made to respond to the current market dynamics and ensure that farmers get their money on time.

“Further, the Agency shall continue ensuring that sufficient marketing prerequisites such as empty grain bags are made available for this exercise so as not to inconvenience farmers,” he said.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.