120 FARMERS SWINDLED

“These swindlers got about 620 x70Kgs bags of my maize in September and according to the agreement form, I was supposed to be paid 7 days after delivery, to date they have not paid me, “They have been telling us stories one after another every week raising false hope and we can't get back our maize because we don’t know where they took it,” Mr Phiri said.

ONE hundred and twenty (120) farmers in Eastern Province have allegedly being been swindled out of K2.5 million after they supplied maize to Petauke District Cooperative Union (PDCU).

The farmers in Petauke sold their maize in September this year to PDCU and according the agreement, they were supposed to be paid within 7 days but up to now they have not been paid.

The farmers have lamented that PDCU, a mother body of all cooperatives in the district had swindled them of over K2.5 million after supplying white maize.

And PDCU chairperson Jonathan Banda who confirmed having received maize from several farmers said despite not honouring the agreement, farmers would be paid once the funds were available.

According to the agreement form between farmers and PDCU which is believed to have been contracted to purchase maize by Simbila Suppliers (a private firm) at K1.25 per kg in September 2017, farmers were supposed to be paid within seven days after delivering maize.

But since September, 120 farmers who had supplied maize to PDCU have not been paid to-date despite their produce being taken away from PDCU premises to an unknown destination.

Frustrated farmers told the Daily Nation in an interview yesterday that they believe they had been conned by PDCU, saying over three months have elapsed with no sign of getting their hard earned money.

One of the farmers talked to Pythias Phiri, of Simambumbu village, Chief Kalindawalo said he regretted supplying his maize to what he termed as "crooks" who conned him.

A furious Mr Phiri said he supplied over 600 × 70 Kg bags of maize and that he was supposed to be paid over K50, 000.

"These swindlers got about 620 x70 Kg bags of my maize in September and according to the agreement form, I was supposed to be paid 7 days after delivery, to date they have not paid me,

"They have been telling us stories one after another every week raising false hopes and we can't get back our maize because we don’t know where they took it," Mr Phiri said.

Meanwhile the PDCU chairperson who acknowledged having received maize from the farmers said his organisation was working round the clock to ensure farmers were paid their money.