Some farmers from Eastern Province who borrowed funds from ADB, African Development Bank under Rural Credit Facility RCF still owe the bank over 32, 000 Kwacha.
The Zambian Government negotiated and signed a loan agreement in November 1996 with ADB for the support of agricultural development in the province.
Eastern Province Agricultural Coordinator Dr Obvious Kabinda says that the lending institution gave the farmers about 43,700 Kwacha in which about 10, 900 Kwacha had been recovered from the farmers.
Dr Kabinda explained that the 43, 700 Kwacha given to the farmers by ADB accrued an interest of about 2, 400 Kwacha.
He says the major programme was to improve living standards by enhancing the productive capacity of the rural poor in production of food and cash crops as well as sustainable management of the environment.
Meanwhile Dr Kabinda says that works on the rehabilitation of the regional laboratory which commenced in November, 2011 in Chipata District are progressing well.