By OLIVER SAMBOKO
GOVERNMENT has allowed the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to purchase up to one million metric tons of maize for national strategic storage.
The FRA has also been allowed to export 450,000 metric tons of maize to the regional market.
Grain traders have also been given green light to export a further 450,000 metric tons of white maize to help offload the maize in farmer’s custody.
This came to light in Parliament yesterday during the questions for oral answers session.
Responding to a question by Kanchibiya MP Sunday Chanda who wanted to know when FRA will pay famers, Agriculture Minister Mutolo Phiri said he could not state when the farmers will be paid their money because the maize being purchased was beyond the 500,000 metric tonnes was beyond the budget.
He said due to the overwhelming response from the farmers because of the bumper harvest, the new government decided to allow FRA to purchase a further 300,000mt and now will allow the agency to purchase more.
Mr Phiri however, urged the farmers to also consider selling their produce to private buyers because the government cannot guarantee when the money for paying farmers will be available.
He urged affected farmers to take responsibility for their maize in their care because the maize that was recently soaked by rains does not belong to the FRA but to individual farmers.
Mr Phiri was also responding to another question from Kasama Central member of Parliament, Sibongile Mwamba who wanted to know who would bear the cost of the maize soaked by rains.
Mr Phiri said FRA is aware of the delay in farmers but assured that the disbursement will be done as soon as funds are available.
He said the Government is committed to ensuring that farmers are paid so as to allow them to prepare for the coming farming season.
Meanwhile, the FRA says it will address all the concerns raised by farmers countrywide.
