FOOD Reserve Agency executive director Chola Kafwabulula says the Agency has cleared all its debt to farmers.

In a statement, Wednesday, Kafwabulula said the total quantity of maize which the Agency purchased in the last season stood at 947,777.5 metric tonnes which was valued at K2.8 billion.

“I would like to report on the Food Reserve Agency marketing programme for the last season and wish to confirm the quantities and the status of the payments. The total quantity that the Food Reserve Agency purchased in the last season was 947,777.5 metric tonnes of maize. The value of this tonnage is K2.8 billion. There was a balance that remained for the farmers to be paid which is K666.9 million and this amount was received yesterday Monday 17th of January 2022. The same has since been distributed to all the paying banks across the country,” he said.

He said the highest quantity, 185,861 metric tonnes, was purchased from Northern Province.

“From the tonnage that was purchased, the highest quantity was recorded in Northern Province with 185,861 metric tonnes. This was followed by Eastern Province with 168,671 metric tonnes of maize,” Kafwabulula said.

Kafwabulula said for districts which had no banking facilities, mobile banking facilities would be provided on a daily basis.

“As the Food Reserve Agency we are aware that there are a few districts across the country where we do not have banking facilities, so we have come up with an initiative of mobile banking in collaboration with existing banks. So mobile banking facilities are being provided on a daily basis in Chadiza, Vubwi and Sinda, so that our farmers will not have to travel a long distance to those districts that have got banks. In any case that will eat into their profits that they have already earned. So farmers should not panic, they have been waiting for this money but now money is waiting for the farmers to be paid. So there is no farmer that is owed any money by the Food Reserve Agency,” said Kafwabulula.