By CHARITY MOONGA –
THE Food Reserve Agency, (FRA) has announced that it will stop purchasing maize from farmers on October 7.
The crop marketing season, which was scheduled to close on October 31, 2014, will now close on October 7, 2014.
FRA public relations manager Daniel M’soka said in a statement released in Lusaka that subject to market dynamics the close of the marketing season had been brought forward.
The marketing season was gazetted on April 17, 2014 to commence on June 1, 2014, but was officially launched on June 20, 2014.
Mr M’soka said the adjustment of the closing date was due to the FRA having met its national strategic reserves purchase target of 500,000 tonnes of maize.
He said the target had been achieved earlier than anticipated owing to the bumper harvest that had been recorded.
He said farmers throughout the country should now deliver their maize to FRA depots before the closing date of October 7, 2014.
“All farmers are therefore reminded and requested to deliver their maize to the nearest Food Reserve Agency buying depot on or before October 7, 2014, as the Agency shall not purchase maize after the close of the marketing season,” he said.
