Maravi

Youth activist bemoans corruption in maize marketing

Youth activist bemoans corruption in maize marketing
By Edwin Mbulo in Kalomo
Wed 14 Mar. 2012, 11:57 CAT

THE maize marketing sector is ravaged by corruption which led to the government losing about K16 billion in the last season, says a youth agricultural activist.

In an interview, Lazarus Mulenga, president of the Zambia National Association for Youths in Agriculture and Development, said corrupt elements in the agriculture sector had taken advantage of smaller towns and appealed to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to focus the fight against corruption in these areas.

"We appeal to the ACC to come and probe a lot of the people here in Kalomo and other towns involved in the maize marketing programme as a lot of them have amassed a lot of wealth. Over K16 billion has been lost by the government in this scheme where we have seen people giving out cheques to ghost farmers," Mulenga said.

He said the Food Reserve Agency's Kalomo branch should also be probed thoroughly as over 14,000 bags of maize were regarded as having been rotten when in fact not.

"We as youths are not happy, especially that we are celebrating a youth day in the background of high levels of corruption especially here in Kalomo which is the biggest maize-growing district in the province," he said.

Mulenga said the Food Reserve Agency was giving out fake receipts to 'farmers' who purportedly delivered maize to the government.

He said the Farmer Imput Support Programme (FISP) should be revisited by the PF government as the system was rotten.

Labels: CORRUPTION, FISP, FRA, MAIZE, YOUTHS

posted by MrK @ 6:54 PM