THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has unearthed a scam in which some individuals are engaging in illegal sales of maize the agency has been releasing to millers in the country.
It has come to the attention of the FRA that unidentified persons have been illegally selling maize packed in FRA branded bags on the open market.
According to statement from the FRA public relations unit, the Agency believes that the maize is from stocks which it has been releasing to millers to stabilize the supply and prices of mealie meal.
“The Agency wishes to warn such individuals, groups of people or indeed firms engaging in such activities that they will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the provisions of the law should they be caught,” the statement said.
The PR unit said the maize being supplied to millers was for purposes of stabilizing the supply of mealie meal to the local consumers at affordable prices.
“It is, therefore, an offence to engage in the re-selling of maize that is obtained from the Agency,” they added.
The FRA has since implored the general public to remain vigilant and report such activities to the police.
It can only be FRA personnel, investigate yourselves
If there is little maize on the market, the problem shall not go away. Isn’t there an economic advisor at state house?You are just fuelling the black market.
As sure as night follows day, so too will illegal trading follow the imposition of market restrictions, export bans, and artificial pricing. With more of the same from government, it will only get worse. There is no surprise here or reason to “wonder why”.
Investigate your selves, follow the trail
security dept should be at work,but that not the solution the market should eventually just regulate its self.Black markets are side effect of price controls.
We didn’t have this problem between 2001 and 2011. Now that the incompetent and tribal PF is in government we are experiencing foot shortages.
Ask the founders of the FRA and the fertilizer Support programme.we had never experienced all these problems.
Mind you Guy Scott,Sata and others created problems during 1991 to 2001 when we even bought yellow maize with guy as minister of agriculture.
PF consult others before making unrealistic statements is it possible for milling companies to open outlets across the country? what are we going to eat as small scale businessmen who don’t even get loans from your banks?
we need solutions which can benefit all.
Mr Sata / Chenda / FRA / Millers / etc
Do we have enough maize reserves to offlaod from FRA January to October 2013
a, What is our monthly consumption as a country
b, How much tonnage does FRA need to offload monthly to flood the market
c, How much tonnage is FRA holding currently
d, How may months from now will FRA buy maize (September?? ). =8 months
e, When can FRA be ready to distrubute maize bought around sept-nov 2013 (december??)
f, Operation flood market can only work if c > b x (d+2)
This is an equation that needs urgent answers. People like Sata, Kabimba, Nsanda cant appreciate this.
Happy new year
The loophole should be with FRA itself because there is no way a miller will release his maize for sale on the street where it will fetch less than if it is sold after processing into mealie meal. The characters manning storage sheds who are tasked with dispatches are to blame. In fact, it will not surprise me if some of the managers from FRA are involved. I understand this business well. A release order will state 500 bags but the chaps will release 700 bags and work on the documentation! What do you expect after that.
its brief case millers like tamba milling who buy maize pretending to be millers and end up reselling the maize to congo….fra shud stop giving orders to such millers