Maravi

‘FRA should find alternative maize storage facilities’

‘FRA should find alternative maize storage facilities’
By George Zulu
Tue 30 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT

A local NGO says the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) should swiftly find an alternative for maize storage facilities before the grain goes to waste. In an interview Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) vice chairperson Partner Siabutuba said FRA would face challenges in maintaining the bumper harvest if it did not consider finding alternative storages.

Siabutuba said with the onset of the rain season, it was clear that the much talked about maize bumper harvest would go to waste because in most areas in the country the maize was not covered.

“This is the confusion FRA finds itself in. We are boasting about bumper harvest but we have failed to manage it. The rain has started and I am sure that in some places it has already been socked, let them find an alternative storage than letting the maize go to waste,” he said.

Siabutuba said the problems faced by FRA were as a result of failure on the part of government to plan for the farming and marketing season.

“How do you plan haphazardly, God gives you a good harvest, you get confused and fail to pay all farmers until the other rain season comes. You leave the maize to be socked by rains. It is a scandal on the part of government and those managing the exercise,” said Siabutuba.

Siabutuba advised President Banda to cut on his ‘unnecessary’ trips to serve and pay farmers still queuing at banks for supplying maize to the FRA.

Labels: FRA, MAIZE, PARTNER SIABUTUBA, STORAGE

posted by MrK @ 5:37 PM