29/01/2026
GOVERNMENT HAS RELEASED ALL FUNDS FOR FRA MAIZE PAYMENTS, SAYS MWEETWA
Information and Media Minister and Chief Government Spokesperson Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa, MP, has reiterated that Government has fully released all funds meant to pay farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), dismissing allegations of theft or impropriety in the handling of the grain.
Speaking when he featured on KbN TV’s “The Big Hour Programme,” monitored by Spice FM, Mr Mweetwa clarified that Government, through the FRA, has no intention of unlawfully benefiting from farmers’ maize without payment.
He explained that theft entails the deliberate and unlawful conversion of property for permanent private gain, a condition he said does not apply to the FRA maize purchases.
Mr Mweetwa disclosed that while the 2025 National Budget provided for the purchase of 543,000 metric tonnes of maize, farmers delivered three to four times that amount. He said once the maize was delivered to FRA depots across the country, Government became both legally and morally obligated to mobilise additional resources to pay the farmers.
He stressed that Government has since met this obligation by releasing all the required funds from the national treasury to banking institutions for onward payment, adding that only a small number of farmers remain unpaid as banks finalise the disbursement process.
The Chief Government Spokesperson attributed delays and long queues previously seen at some banks to technical challenges in the payment systems and the difficulty of implementing modern payment methods, particularly for farmers from rural areas who may not be fully familiar with such modalities.
Mr Mweetwa, however, noted that the queues have significantly reduced, with most farmers already paid, and only a few remaining as the process nears completion.
He expressed deep appreciation to the banking sector for its exceptional commitment during the payment process, revealing that some banks operated throughout weekends and extended working hours to as long as 22 to 23 hours a day. In areas such as Choma, he said bank staff worked through the night to ensure all farmers in queues were attended to.
He further commended the Bank of Zambia and its Governor, Dr Denny Kalyalya, for authorising financial institutions to extend their operations to expedite payments.
On the 2025/2026 farming season, Mr Mweetwa said Zambia is on course for what he described as a “uniquely super bumper harvest,” provided favourable rains continue until the end of March. He stated that the country is unlikely to face hunger concerns, but may instead encounter storage challenges.
To address this, Mr Mweetwa revealed that President Hakainde Hichilema has already directed Cabinet, through the Ministry of Finance, to set aside resources to expand maize storage capacity in line with the national production target of 10 million metric tonnes.
Commenting on the Chawama by-election, Mr Mweetwa said the UPND’s loss had provided critical lessons and important eye-openers for the party ahead of future electoral engagements. He clarified that neither the President nor the Vice President campaigned in the constituency, despite the level of investment made in the campaign.
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