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(LUSAKATIMES) Maize in Chongwe going to waste – Masebo

Maize in Chongwe going to waste – Masebo
Wednesday, November 17, 2010, 17:00
By LusakaTimes

Chongwe member of parliament Sylvia Masebo has warned that the government risks running to a huge loss if no serious measures were taken to protect the already purchased grain from rains.

Speaking in parliament, Ms Masebo said her constituency was faced with challenges in maize storage and the grain was already going to waste in some depots.

“There are still many challenges being faced in Chongwe, I went round some depots and discovered that some grain is already affected by weevils,” she said.

Ms Masebo also wondered how the Ministry of Agriculture would manage to sell off the excess produce when the global selling price was way lower than the local purchase price.She said it would be unreasonable for the ministry to subsidise the price for foreign countries purchasing the commodity at the expense of the local millers.

Ms Masebo also wondered how the Ministry of Agriculture would manage to sell off the excess produce when the global selling price was way lower than the local purchase price.She said it would be unreasonable for the ministry to subsidise the price for foreign countries purchasing the commodity at the expense of the local millers.

Ms. Masebo further urged the government to attach more seriousness to paying farmers on time to enable them get inputs for the next farming season.

Masebo disclosed that some farmers in her constituency who had supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had not yet received their payment.

Labels: MAIZE, SILOS, STORAGE, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 4:41 PM