By LusakaTimes
Chongwe member of parliament Sylvia Masebo has warned that the government risks running to a huge loss if no serious measures were taken to protect the already purchased grain from rains.
Speaking in parliament, Ms Masebo said her constituency was faced with challenges in maize storage and the grain was already going to waste in some depots.
“There are still many challenges being faced in Chongwe, I went round some depots and discovered that some grain is already affected by weevils,” she said[pullquote].Ms Masebo also wondered how the Ministry of Agriculture would manage to sell off the excess produce when the global selling price was way lower than the local purchase price.She said it would be unreasonable for the ministry to subsidise the price for foreign countries purchasing the commodity at the expense of the local millers.[/pullquote]
Ms Masebo also wondered how the Ministry of Agriculture would manage to sell off the excess produce when the global selling price was way lower than the local purchase price.She said it would be unreasonable for the ministry to subsidise the price for foreign countries purchasing the commodity at the expense of
the local millers.
Ms. Masebo further urged the government to attach more seriousness to paying farmers on time to enable them get inputs for the next farming season.
Masebo disclosed that some farmers in her constituency who had supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had not yet received their payment.
The Vasco Da Banda govt is claiming that their agriculture policies are working when in fact this was just an accidental bumper harvest.
They have no clue on how they will manage it since it was never anticipated hence not planned for
Its like you have chimbwi mu goal
ms Masebo you look beautiful, we wish your were still in ministerial position but alas Banda managed to cut off your tail so that you can sit down in your constituency. thanks to Banda for shuting up all of you who where swinging your tails in Levy govenment.
Now this qualifies to be a constructive statement by a concerned citizen, Hon Masebo, not that crap by MUVI TV on the other blog. See my comment there.
Unprecedented- unplanned. so its true the bumper harvest was just by chance. Is it that this harvest has now become so much of a problem to govt that they have run out of ideas. Obvious kasaka kaunga manje ni 25 pin. These tomboliloz were just called FRA were just buying maize without any plans as to how this maize will be stored in the event that there is no competetive buyer elsewhere. What a joke, billions af kwacha will just be lost just like that. This is a problem of taking means to be ends in themselves.
I think we need to engage the private sector more in this regard. Govts (anywhere in the world) are not good at running commercial interests and the sooner the private sector takes over this mantle, the better. Private investors could set up massive silos and store this produce for export to big markets like Congo DR.
I can’t foresee? I can’t plan? muzungu ngati…you don’t think…mwakalipa ati racist.
Oh you expected one child, but your wife produced quintplets(8babies) at a go so you cannot afford extra napkins? O Zambia, God gives good rain and good harvest and you wish he did not. You MMD are like a father who becomes sad because his has passed an exam because you dont want to spend money on uniforms and school fees.
#4 Templar- Yes it was by accident because it is the same amount of in puts which we received eccept that we received less per person so that the in puts could cover more people. If the weather was not favourable, the story could have been different. You see MMd are masters at shifting posts- If a road has pot holes it is beause the Council is PF and if a road is mended it is becaue of RBs good policies.