State targets to buy 500,000 MT maize

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:27:47 +0000

By SIMON MUNTEMBA

THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) will only buy 500,000 metric tonnes of maize from outlying areas this season, Government has announced.

Agriculture minister, Dora Siliya, said yesterday there was also no floor price for maize.

Ms Siliya also revealed that the Electronic Voucher system which was conducted in only 49 districts last year will this year be introduced to all the districts in Zambia as a way of making it easy to be accessed and increase the number of targeted beneficiaries.

“I must emphasise this. Because it came up from even Members of Parliament yesterday. There is no floor price. Government does not give a floor price on maize that everybody should follow. No, we don’t do that. What we do through the FRA is offer our price that we think we can buy at and everybody else who is a buyer also offers the farmer their own price.” Ms Siliya said.

Ms Siliya stated that when the E-Voucher system was first introduced two years ago, it was done in 14 districts and then extended to 49 districts last year, adding that the Government would this year introduce the system to all the districts in Zambia.

Speaking when she featured on the Patriotic Front Interactive Forum Platform last evening, Ms Siliya said despite the system having experienced some hiccups, her ministry was committed to improve the programme.

The minister noted that previously the E-Voucher system had experienced a number of challenges but dispelled the notion that it was the technology that had been flawed, but rather that it was the release of funds that had been a challenge.

“Despite the arguments from some critics, the reality was that the past two years had seen most countries around the globe experience an economic downturn and Zambia had not be spared, which saw the copper prices depreciate.

“And during that period, monies were committed to elections and that the combination of all those factors saw Government experience challenges in finding its position in terms of fiscal stability so that it could release funds for the E-Voucher. “It was simple, that is just what happened. Instead of beginning the E-Voucher releases somewhere around July or August, we only began in November because in between everyone was going for elections and the Treasury had commitments to the elections. That is what happened,” Ms Siliya said.