FRA’s deflated food prices

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 10:19:31 +0000

Dear Editor,

 I write in response to an article titled, “Leave crop marketing to private sector, FRA told,” which appeared in the August 15, 2017 Daily Nation issue.

The price of K60.00 per 50-kilogramme bag of maize is a major landmark for Food Reserve Agency’s immediate rethink and imminent exit out of the crop marketing platform to allow farmers and the private sector to interact without its interference to stabilise market prices in the country as suggested by Smallscale Farmers for Development Agency (SAFADA) director, Boyd Moobwe.

It is worth mentioning that the need for a clear separation in FRA’s mandate between national food strategic reserves and national food stocks for usual domestic consumption and regional export in times of excess food stocks has been long overdue.

The status of FRA has been a bone of contention for almost a quarter a century. It is the key issue on which FRA and smallscale farmers are still divided.

However, I take serious exception to the SAFADA director’s suggestion that FRA should buy maize and other crops from the private sector like ZAMACE to reduce its cost of operation of crop marketing system.

In line with its strategic food security mandate for the nation, common sense suggests that FRA should limit itself in buying maize and other crops meant for national food strategic reserves from state farms that are being operated and managed by the security wings – Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service, Zambia Police and Zambia Correctional Services.

In addition, Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF) should also get involved in buying maize and other crops directly from smallholder farmers in far-flung and hard-to-reach localities or through the security wings for its solar-powered milling plants that are yet to be dotted around in rural areas countrywide.

Needless to say, FRA has become increasingly desperate for increased revenue in 2017, to plug its budgetary gap.

Little did FRA know that its insistence on deflated food prices would eventually become its death knell?

Whether state farms belonging to the security wings come to its aid or not, is a matter for conjecture.

 Their agro-marketing status and strategy need to be determined by their respective ministries without delay.

Meanwhile, farmers are getting better access to fertilisers and other inputs to make their soil healthier and harvests better through the FISP e-voucher system.

And partnerships are being created across communities to provide farmers with access to microfinance credit, to agro-dealer networks and local markets, and in support of government policies to develop the agricultural economy.

Turning this trend into widespread revolution requires action at four levels: Investing in breadbasket areas which have greater agricultural potential; expanding rural infrastructure; expanding regional trade by lowering tariffs and non-tariff barriers; and reducing risks associated with climate change – droughts and floods – through different adaptation mechanisms, including improved weather forecasting and promoting crop insurance schemes.

Across Zambia, smallholder farmers are leading the advance towards a greener, sustainable future, whereby the country is able to feed itself, put an end to rural poverty and even make agriculture profitable.

All it would take is to let justice in agro-marketing be done to both FRA and smallholder farmers quickly before it is too late.

Mubanga Luchembe,

LUSAKA