By KASONDE KASONDE in Masaiti –
THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has so far bought 7.9 million by 50 kilogramme bags of maize from the targeted 10 million bags set for this crop marketing season which closes at the monthend.
FRA executive director Chola Kafwabulula said the maize bought represented 79 per cent of the 2017 grain to be purchased by the agency this year.
Mr Kafwabulula said the agency was receiving an overwhelming response from farmers, especially in Eastern Province, where it had purchased 2.2 million bags.
The FRA had also bought 1.2 million bags from Southern Province, where farmers were selling most of their maize to the agency.
“We are making headways in meeting our target before we close the crop marketing season, the maize we have bought so far is worth K475million,” Mr Kafwabulula said.
He said this in Masaiti on the Copperbelt, where he toured satellite depots.
Mr Kafwabulula said the agency had not bought a lot of maize from farmers on the Copperbelt because some opted to sell their grain to private buyers, particularly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He, however, said some farmers remained loyal to the FRA and were still selling their maize to the agency due to its good payment plan.
The agency paid lump sums for the maize bought from farmers to help them plan better.
Mr Kafwabulula also said rehabilitation of the Bwana Mkubwa grain storage silos in Ndola had reached an advanced stage and was scheduled to be completed early next year.
He said the agency had six grain storage silos across the country, which it took over from National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBOARD) that were constructed in the Kenneth Kaunda era.
And Copperbelt FRA provincial marketing coordinator Simon Phiri said the rehabilitation works on the grain storage silos were worth K49 million and were being done by a Chinese contractor Wahkong Construction company.
Mr Phiri said once the rehabilitation works were completed, state of the art technology would be installed to enhance operations and ensure security of the grain.
