(LUSAKATIMES) FRA yearns for more funding

FRA yearns for more funding
Posted on July 12th, 2008

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has asked government to scale up the budgetary allocation to the agency. FRA Provincial Marketing Coordinator Sunday Mwelwa says an increase in the budgetary allocation to the agency would facilitate the purchase of more maize from farmers in a bid to ensure national food security.

Mr. Mwelwa noted that failure to increase the allocation would adversely affect farmers in rural areas where the involvement of the private sector is minimal.

He was speaking when he made a presentation at the closure of a two-day second quarter meeting of the Lusaka Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) in Lusaka today.

And PDCC Chairperson Elijah Chisanga expressed concern at the decision by FRA to reduce the number satellite depots at district level.

Mr. Chisanga said the move would disadvantage peasant farmers who would incur huge transport costs to ferry their produce to markets.

[ZANIS]