FRA closes business after k3 billion payout to farmers
THE Food Reserve Agency-FRA has finally sealed its 2025 crop marketing season after recording historic maize purchases and releasing K3 billion to farmers across the country.
According to a statement issued by acting executive director Justin Chuunka, the Agency has announced that all designated purchase locations, commonly known as satellite depots, will close on 31st October 2025, signaling the end of one of the most successful crop marketing seasons to ever take place in Zambia.
As recorded on October 27 this year, FRA had aquired 1,659,368 metric tonnes of Grade A white maize, equivalent to 33,187,360 fifty-kilogramme bags.
The Agency also purchased 252.3 metric tonnes of paddy rice, translating to 6,308 forty-kilogramme bags.
“This year’s purchase figure for maize is the highest in the purchase records of the Agency,” Chuunka disclosed
However, FRA has since attributed this success to the resilience and hard work of local farmers, who tirelessly worked hard to produced nearly four million metric tonnes of maize and breaking the record as the highest national output ever recorded.
Chuunka revealed that, “the board and Management of the Agency wish to commend farmers for the resilience and hard work which resulted in the production of nearly four million metric tonnes of maize,”
The Agency further expressed gratitude to the government acknowledging and applauding its practical and progressive interventions and innovations in the agriculture sector that have continued to transform and revolutionize the industry.
As part of the 2025 marketing exercise, FRA confirmed that nearly K3 billion has been released to commercial banks to facilitate payments to farmers who supplied maize through its depots nationwide.
“This development improves the welfare of rural households through the availability of disposable incomes,”Chuunka said
The Agency has also applauded the Ministry of Agriculture for timely coordination under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), which has allowed farmers to access farming inputs early in preparation for the 2026 farming season.
As the 2025 marketing season draws to a close, the FRA says planning for the 2026 season is already underway, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the country’s food security and supporting the growth of the agricultural sector.
By Dorica Kapwaya
Kalemba October 30,2025.
If almost K3billion has been released, which is less than amount required to pay for the budgeted 543,000MT, but slightly over 80%, why are majority of farmers who supplied in July 2025 not yet paid?
I ask this question because as at end of July 2025 the target had not been met. It was only met in August when all buying points were opened.
Kindly provide detailed summary statistics on maize quantities bought each month against payments so that we can appreciate the agency’s transparency.. Failure to doing so will leave us doubting big time if corruption has not engulfed the payment process.
Note that the latter suspicion is based on the information we’ve been receiving from both FRA and government officials..
Though no credible information on payments being made haphazardly ie without following receipt nos and date of delivery across the country, can only hope that isn’t the reason why more than half of farmers who supplied in July 2025 aren’t paid today..