Maravi

Poor grain storage worries ZNFU

Poor grain storage worries ZNFU
By Joseph Mwenda
Fri 12 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT

ZNFU says it is extremely worried that poor storage facilities for the record bumper harvest will result in a disaster following the onset of the rains.

In an interview yesterday, Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba said the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) would have avoided the damage of purchased maize if it had considered the caution from the union which projected a record harvest last year by planning in advance.

“As a union, we are extremely worried. We are worried about how our grain is being stored. I think there is need to review FRA marketing, so that excess maize should be sold outside Zambia immediately,” he said.

Zimba said the FRA was notified of this year’s harvest projection but that the advice was not heeded.

“We knew in March last year that there was going to be a bumper harvest this year but as usual, government will never react until the crop forecast,” he said.

Zimba said by July this year, FRA should have had the money ready for maize purchases instead of waiting until the farmers had harvested their crops.

“The matter is very worrying and any further delay as we go into the rainy season, it will be a very sad situation,” Zimba said.

“The rains have started and the next challenge we are so extremely worried about is the transportation of the grain from satellite depots to the holding depots. Some areas rain heavily, so when the rains intensify, they might not be able to reach such areas to transport the grain.”

Zimba further urged the FRA to relax transportation rules and allow even small trucks to help move grain to safe storage facilities.

He also said FRA should honour its promise by paying off all farmers for the crops supplied by November 15.

“They promised that they would finish paying all the farmers by November 15, so we want them to honour their promise so that the farmers are paid on time,” said Zimba.

“We also want to warn the provincial and district agriculture coordinators to ensure that no farmer is discriminated in terms of payment for those who supplied maize to the agency and also in terms of distribution of farming inputs for the next farming season.”

Labels: FRA, JERVIS ZIMBA, MAIZE, STORAGE, ZNFU

posted by MrK @ 8:24 AM