Maravi

FRA has failed to live up to its mandate, says Kavindele

FRA has failed to live up to its mandate, says Kavindele
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Monday, December 08, 2008 5:43:11 AM

FORMER Republican vice-president Enock Kavindele has said the current maize problem is a clear indication that FRA has failed to live up to its mandate of being responsible for the country's strategic maize reserves. Kavindele said although the immediate way out of the current maize problem was to import the commodity, the history of maize imports in the country was a disaster.

He proposed that the government should identify and empower about 20 commercial farmers with centre pivot irrigation machines specifically for strategic maize reserves.

"The history of maize importation in Zambia has been a disaster since 1991 when due to drought, the government attempted to import 900,000 tonnes. There was also a K17.5 billion C&S maize scandal which again failed and the matter is in court, the Carlington maize scam which remains unresolved," Kavindele said. "FRA [Food Reserve Agency] imported GMO [Genetically Modified Organisms] maize contrary to the position of the government and although the maize was later re-exported, the country lost money in that deal and just over three years, government paid US $2.5 million to some fictitious dealer in South Africa for maize storage and transportation and not even a grain came.

"When I was vice-president and the Ministry of Agriculture was under my office, I managed to negotiate with the World Bank country manager that time Dr Lewis Clarke for the scheme to identify 20 commercial farmers. The World Bank agreed with my idea and [Zambia National Farmers Union executive director Songowayo] Zyambo helped to identify the farmers but you know... the tragedy of the African politics is that when you leave office, then they think you are irrelevant."

Kavindele also said the current maize problem in the country was a product of miscalculations on the part of the people who made the crop forecast for this year.

He said FRA needed to be allowed to deal with small-scale farmers while the identified commercial farmers should concentrate on producing the crop for strategic national reserves.

"Basically, the government overestimated the production of last year because they want to portray success even when we did not produce as much," Kavindele said.

He also challenged the FRA to disclose to the nation how much money was made from maize exports.

"It is very important for the FRA to tell the nation the proceeds from the maize exports but I hear they needed money to run their operations, but if their costs are that high, then we are in for serious problems. FRA was basically meant for strategic food reserve and only release the maize in times like this," said Kavindele.

The government plans to import 100,000 metric tonnes of white non-GMO maize at over US $400 per tonne when it recently officially sold about 450,000 tonnes of the commodity to its neighbouring countries at US$ 270 per tonne.

According to sources within the Ministry of Agriculture, the money realised from the exports of maize was not remitted to the Treasury as it was used for the operations of FRA.

"The country is reported have produced 1.2 million tonnes of maize when in actual fact the total output was far less than that," the sources said. "Zambia is supposed to keep 250,000 [tonnes] in strategic reserves at all times but this is not the case now. While the export of maize by FRA in itself was not wrong, the question is why they [FRA] should be going back to government for money to import 100,000 tonnes when they recently exported 450,000 tonnes and earned revenue from those transactions? Where did they take the proceeds from the transaction?"

Agriculture permanent secretary for cooperatives and marketing Bernard Namachila refused to comment on the matter and referred all queries to the FRA.

But FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanauwo could not be reached for comment on the matter.

Efforts to get agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo also proved futile.

Labels: ENOCH KAVINDELE, FRA

posted by MrK @ 5:43 AM