FORMER AGRICULTURE MINISTER ATTRIBUTES DELAYED FARMER PAYMENTS TO POOR POLICIES
By Cecilia Zyambo
Former Agriculture Minister Robert Sichinga has alleged that government has failed to pay farmers on time due to poor policies that do not support or prioritize the farming sector.
Mr. Sichinga says it is now too late for government to make payments, explaining that delays have already disrupted farmers’ preparations for the current farming season.
He has noted that many farmers lack the financial capacity to purchase fertilizer and other essential inputs in time, a situation that is expected to significantly reduce overall agricultural output.
Mr. Sichinga has warned that delayed payments to farmers could negatively affect national food security, as many farmers may be forced to sell their produce, including to markets outside the country.
He further stated that, as a former minister, it is too late for him to advise the government, noting that farmers have already lost confidence in its leadership.
Government had promised that farmers who supplied maize to government around June and July 2025 would receive their payments by the stated deadline, but this has not been fulfilled.
PHOENIX NEWS
He just want some political relevance, the government bought all the maize from all farmers exceeding target putting pressure on coffers
Bashi Nono, I thought you are a Chartered Accountant who understands how Government Budget works nkasi ‘Thereiz No Bashi Nono Sure”…
Us ordinary citizens are grateful to the government for the overwhelming support they have given us Under Very Challenging Circumstances…
Bashi Nono….give us part 2 kaili instead of wasting time writing nonsense.
Delaying to pay farmers in one season does not come out bad policies, that’s a very poor analysis. May be you have forgotten your economics. Are you not one of the founders of UPND and you were even the Party Vice President and the same policies you criticizing now are the same ones you left. So you are just laughing at yourself. In PF you were a Cabinet Minister but PF is known for a chain of failures, failure to pay retirees, debt defaulting, merger 1.6 CDF, are those good policies? Failure to pay retirees is not different from failure to pay farmers, but UPND has never failed to pay farmers the past three seasons, leave alone the 2024/25 season where there has been a delay and this time the problem has been resolved.