The Government has proposed a K19.9 billion supplementary budget for 2026, with K14.7 billion prioritized for payments to farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), following a bumper harvest that significantly exceeded the Government’s initial purchase target.
Finance and National Planning Minister Dr. SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, MP, presented the Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure No. 2 of 2026 to the National Assembly today, explaining that additional financing was required to meet emerging expenditure obligations, strengthen national food security, support agricultural production, and address other priority spending requirements.
The Minister disclosed that the FRA purchased 2.7 million metric tonnes of maize in 2026, against an initial target of 500,000 metric tonnes, necessitating increased expenditure to meet obligations to farmers.
He explained that the Government had deliberately taken advantage of the bumper harvest to strengthen strategic food reserves in anticipation of a lean period in 2027, associated with the adverse effects of El Niño.
Under the proposed supplementary budget, the Ministry of Agriculture will receive K15.8 billion, representing 79 percent of the total allocation, under Head 89. Of this amount, K14.7 billion will finance payments to farmers for maize supplied to the FRA, while K1.1 billion will supplement resources for the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
The additional FISP allocation is intended to facilitate the effective implementation of the 2026/2027 agricultural season’s e-voucher program, ensuring continued support for agricultural production and participating farmers.
Dr. MUSOKOTWANE further proposed K1.3 billion, representing 6.3 percent of the supplementary estimates, under the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
Post comments (0)