The Zambian Government has revealed that it still owes farmers K14.6 billion for maize supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), raising concerns over delayed payments as farmers prepare for the next planting season.
Acting Minister of Agriculture Situmbeko Musokotwane told Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, that the FRA had purchased maize worth approximately K18.7 billion during the 2026 marketing season, but only K4.1 billion had been paid to farmers, leaving most of the money outstanding.
The payment backlog follows a bumper harvest that prompted the FRA to increase its maize purchasing target from 500,000 to 2.7 million metric tonnes.
Musokotwane said the Government had proposed K14.7 billion in additional funding through the 2026 supplementary budget to settle outstanding payments, with the aim of paying farmers the bulk of what they are owed by November.
The delays come at a critical time as farmers prepare to buy fertiliser, seeds and other farming inputs for the next season.
While the Government has promised to clear the arrears, questions remain over how thousands of farmers will finance their next crop after delivering maize to the national food reserves without receiving full payment.