THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has said about 46% of the 96, 596 tonnes of maize was soaked by rains on Tuesday in its depots on the Copperbelt but has assured that maize which will not go to waste.
And the FRA has so far bought maize worth more than K125 billion from farmers on the Copperbelt since the maize buying exercise started in mid July this year.
Provincial marketing coordinator, Simon Phiri told the Times in an interview that the maize would not rot because the rains did not persist and that it would dry out within three days of sunshine.
Mr Phiri said he had given directives to his officers to compile the exact figure of the quantity of maize which was soaked by the rains.
He said the FRA on the Copperbelt had moved 55% of the maize to the three holding depots in Chambishi, Kalulushi and Chingola which had good storage facilities.
Mr Phiri said his office was making efforts to procure more tarpaulin tents to cover the maize because the initial tents the province received had run out due to the huge amount of maize which was bought from the farmers.
He said some of the maize was marooned in some areas because transporters were failing to collect it due to the dilapidated state of the roads.
“But we have worked out a special rate for transporters in order to encourage them to go to the areas where the roads are not good so that the maize can be brought to the depots,” he said.
Mr Phiri said the FRA had paid out about K83, 978, 900, 000 billion cash to the farmers in the province and would soon release money to liquidate the balance before the next farming season.
Meanwhile, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) on the Copperbelt has appealed to FRA to put in place measures that will ensure that the maize harvest is secure.
Copperbelt region coordinator Mr Michael Zulu said it would be unfortunate to allow the bumper harvest which had been recorded in the country to go to waste because storage facilities had not been erected.
He said the maize should not be allowed to go to waste because even some neighbouring countries were looking to Zambia for importation of surplus from the extra maize harvest.
“I have been to Kanyenda and Bwembelo depots in Mpongwe district, the maize there is soaked and the FRA has no dryers on the Copperbelt to help the maize dry out,” he said.
[Times Of Zambia]
This is another section which needs some serous attention. We are talking about our/Africas bellies here….
Do not mind. the rains have a 90 day deadline!
Donchi Kubeba
I wonder why FRA cant put up proper storage sheds.
I smell a big rat. This could be a plan to cover their thefts. They will simply say X metric tones of maize worth so much was destroyed by rains, when actually the amount was stolen. COBRA can you strike before we are defrauded more.
We are watching you….
Sorry the King Serpient is busy fixing the MMD now. Maize issues to be looked into after removing RB’s immunity.
What are you watching Mpika Boy? This is your fault. If you have got a brain HE MCS talked about your foolish bragging about bumper harvest when you couldn`t even keep the bumper harvest safe. In the mean time you were busy clocking air miles on the Presidential Challanger. Pathetic people!
All that maize going to waste? why cant you donate to somalians who are dying of hunger everyday? akaso! no wonder you boast of having a bumper harvest and the price of meali meal goes up everyday! nonsense!
If the post was anti PF the headline would have raed “PF soaks first 40,000 tonnes of maize”
“Provincial marketing coordinator, Simon Phiri told the Times in an interview that the maize would not rot because the rains did not persist and that it would dry out within three days of sunshine”. LIAR!!
How can it dry when it is in stacks. No wonder you are being fired!! it is not possible for maize to dry while on stacks unless you dismantle the stacks to expose all bags to sunlight. This makes me wonder if this man knows his Job.
I would say, poor planning on the part of FRA and perhaps the previous RB and FTJ regimes. You see, as you increase production, there is need to think of postharvest strategies which will guarantee quality in the long run. The maize once soaked while in bulk even if sun shines, the residual moisture may render it develop mould and ultimately mycotoxins like aflatoxin carcinogenic & not safe for consumption. Lets no console oneself that the maize will dry that is nonsense. During the time of KK built storage structure like bins across the country, Negligency and lack of foresigosight on FRA , they still struggle year in year out in maize storage, please wake up this is 21 century. This is not the first time the maize is getting soaked..that shows something is wrong somewhere with FRA
This is just silly, this problem has been going on for years. This shows poor planning, how can the government not build proper silos that can store this grain. Now will the government have to import again, what good is farming when you can leave the crop to be destroyed. Can the governement and the minister reponsible for agriculture please looking and resolving this sorry story for once.
….for sure!
“It’s no big deal” simplistic thinking by the Provincial Marketing Coordinator!
Check out #’s 9 and 10 and make out what they think of your level of thinking, Mr Phiri you deserve to be fired!
It is the fault of Sata’s govt. He is paying attention to filling his pockets with money when he is supposed to be working for zambia. Already maize is going to waste. I guess this is the last bumper harvest that zambia will ever have. After all Bembas have never been farmers…ba tola fye bena!!
so these fra guys, didnt thnk of the outcme, awe ITS JS A WAY OF STEALING NoW.. Ba phiri shud go.
hey hey hey don’t joke with our food! Mr president please clean up this dirty kitchen too.
FRA need to engage with Brazil and Argentina on how to store maize effectively. A few expatriates are needed in this department to bring efficiency and effectiveness in the storage methods.
Very disheartining….
Mwebantu twaleni amataba ku figayo… umutengo wa bunga ubweleko.
If not pelene fye instead yakubosha…
The story of maize being soaked makes very sad reading indeed. the financial losses arising from the soaked maize are huge. apart from the money paid to the farmers, there is money paid to the transporters, the warehouse managers, fumigators, personnel and many other beneficiaries in the marketing chain. Put together, this is a lot of money lost. But added to losses in other parts of the country, one gets a full picture of the costly incompetence and criminality of FRA management.. SACK THEM.
But added to losses in other parts of the country, one gets a full picture of the costly incompetence and criminality of FRA management.. SACK THEM.