Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Senior Chief Nsokolo of Mbala District in Northern Province is disappointed that most of the more than 2,000 farmers in his chiefdom have not yet been paid for the crops supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the area.
Chief Nsokolo says the non-payment for the produce has left many farmers desperate with the oncoming planting season as they lack resources to service loans to lending institutions as well as meet personal obligations.
The traditional leader has urged the Government to expedite and look for money from various lenders, including banks to pay the farmers in Mbala and elsewhere ahead of the planting season arguing that many of them are unable to do so for lack of resources.
He was in statement released to Qfm news by his personal assistant Jeff Kapembwa.
And Chief Nsokolo has appealed to the Government to in future consider channeling the entire Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), through traditional rulers who know genuine farmers unlike co-operatives.
He further argues that many of the co-operatives have formed cartels to reap from Government at the expense of genuine beneficiaries.
Meanwhile the tradition leader has commended Government through the Road Development Agency (RDA) for the untiring effort to rehabilitate and repair the 180-kilometre long Mbala-Nakonde road to bituminous standard.
He says he IS hopeful the project will be completed soon as it was affecting business between the two districts.