SMALLHOLDER FARMERS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY AFTER AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORT EXPOSES K19.6M IRREGULAR PAYOUTS

The National Association for Smallholder Farmers has added its voice to a growing chorus of condemnation following the release of the latest Auditor General’s report, which uncovered a staggering K19.6 million in irregular disbursements within the agricultural sector. Smallholder representatives argue that such financial leakages directly undermine national food security and deprive genuine rural producers of essential inputs and support. The revelations have ignited widespread debate across the country regarding transparency and the efficacy of public resource management in key economic drivers. According to the Auditor General's findings, the irregularities involve unverified payments, questionable beneficiary selections, and systemic oversights that allowed substantial public funds to bypass intended recipients. For Zambia's smallholder farmers, who constitute the backbone of agricultural production and rural livelihoods, these lapses are deeply disheartening. Many farming cooperatives report struggling with delayed inputs, inadequate extension services, and financial exclusion, making the diversion or mismanagement of millions of kwacha an especially bitter pill to swallow. Civil society organizations and agricultural economists have joined the farmers in demanding swift accountability, urging law enforcement agencies and relevant oversight bodies to thoroughly probe the anomalies. Critics emphasize that recurring financial irregularities in public audits point to deeper structural weaknesses in institutional oversight and procurement compliance. Without stringent punitive measures and structural reforms, stakeholders warn that public trust in agricultural intervention programs will continue to erode. In response to mounting public pressure, various stakeholders are urging the government to institute immediate corrective actions, including rigorous tracking mechanisms for agricultural subsidies and disbursements. Ensuring that funds reach grassroots cooperati