ZNFU to stock 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat

ZNFU to stock 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:58:28 PM

ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has revealed that there are plans to have the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) take up 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat into its strategic reserves.

In a statement, ZNFU stated that a meeting had so far been held among stakeholders, that Minister of Agriculture Brian Chituwo and representatives from FRA and ZNFU to chat the way forward on possibilities of having strategic reserves for wheat to avoid imports of the commodity.

“This development will be an important one because it further strengthens the no-wheat- import stance, as the FRA Act requires that all designated crops under the Act cannot be secretly imported,” ZNFU stated. “FRA intends to source the funds for this transaction from the commercial market.”

ZNFU however cautioned that it was too early to celebrate over this plan as they were detailed discussions that still required to be done on both sides.

“From the ZNFU side, a wheat committee meeting will be required to be called and discuss this matter further, but this is also dependent on the progress to be made by FRA, which tentatively should in the next 2 weeks,” stated ZNFU.

Recently, President Rupiah Banda directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives to ensure that there were no more wheat imports allowed and to cancel all import permits already issued. He said this was in an effort to stabilise the wheat market.

President Banda further called for an effective crop marketing institution and consideration of the possibility of establishing a private public partnership (PPP) marketing institution in which ZNFU and the government could work together.