Maravi

FRA to purchase 400,000 metric tonnes of maize

FRA to purchase 400,000 metric tonnes of maize
By Joan Chirwa
Monday May 14, 2007 [04:00]

THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has announced that tender procedures for procurement of various requisites for this year’s crop marketing season have begun. FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanaumo said the agency was well prepared for the coming marketing season, which begins on June 1, 2007. Dr Mwanaumo said the FRA had put in place measures to finance the purchase of maize for strategic food reserves to reach a targeted figure of 400,000 metric tonnes from 387,000 metric tonnes bought the previous year.

“In 2006, we purchased 387,000 metric tonnes of maize and this year we want to purchase 400,000 metric tonnes,” Dr Mwanaumo said during a programme on Radio Christian Voice. “We used K292 billion to purchase the 387,000 metric tonnes of maize last year and this year, government has given us K205 billion which will only purchase about 270,000 metric tonnes so we will finance the purchase of the other tonnes to reach the 400,000 metric tonnes mark.”

And Dr Mwanaumo said FRA would work closely with local leadership in dealing with dishonest maize buyers and ghost farmers across the country. “We have increased the number of satellite depots from 180 to 620 because we want to deal with unscrupulous maize buyers and ghost farmers who have been robbing us of a lot of money,” Dr Mwanaumo said. “The increase in the number of satellite depots will also bring the service closer to the farmers.”

The FRA during the announcement of crop prices for this marketing season recently, said the current indications showed that there would be a good harvest in spite of the floods the country experienced. Zambia last year harvested 1.4 million metric tonnes of maize and had 600,000 metric tonnes surplus. This year’s harvest is expected in the same range.

Labels: FRA, MAIZE

posted by MrK @ 4:41 AM