FRA not sincere over rotting maize, say Kasama farmers
By Ndinawe Simpelwe
Tue 26 July 2011, 13:59 CAT
THERE is more maize going to waste than has been reported in the media, farmers in Kasama have revealed. Farmers talked to in Kasama revealed that the FRA was not being sincere over the handling of maize because more maize has gone to waste than is reported. Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mwila Chola, said the FRA had not gone to all parts of the district to ascertain the real situation.
“The FRA should ensure that they reach all parts of the district because the 15,000 bags that we saw in the press was not the true picture. There is more that has gone to waste,” Chola said.
“We know that the FRA has done its best and has challenges but they should try to get to all parts where there are small-scale farmers to get the real picture,”
He said the small-scale farmers in the district had very poor storage facilities that could store the maize for a long time.
He said the farmers had made a loss because their hard work had not paid.
Over 20,000 bags of maize worth K1.5 billion was reported wasted in Kasama and Mpika districts which the FRA disputed.
The FRA said it only knew of 1,650 bags of maize that went to waste.
Another farmer Chomba Sinyangwe urged government to hasten in building more storage facilities in the country.
He said it was becoming frustrating for small-scale farmers to produce bumper harvests every year that only went to waste.
“It is sad that all that hard work has resulted to almost nothing. Our maize is rotten and there is no chance of saving it,” Sinyangwe said.
Sinyangwe said the government should plan in advance for the coming farming season.
He said it would be meaningless for the government to be caught up in problems after the harvest.
“I think this is not a new problem; we have been facing the same problem year after year. It’s just logical that the authorities put measures in place to solve this problem once and for all,” Sinyangwe said.
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