FRA urged to secure Maize from damage

Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary, Tuesday Bwalya has instructed the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the region to secure all the maize that it is buying from farmers during the current crop marketing season. ‎‎Dr Bwalya said the agency should ensure that all the maize it is…

Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary, Tuesday Bwalya has instructed the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the region to secure all the maize that it is buying from farmers during the current crop marketing season.

‎‎Dr Bwalya said the agency should ensure that all the maize it is procuring is protected from either sunlight, rains or any damage.

‎‎He said he does not want to see any wastage of maize which the FRA is buying using taxpayers money.

“As government we want to ensure that each bag that has been purchased is protected either from the sun or the rains. And as PS for Muchinga Province I am not going to allow a situation where maize is soaked. I’m in touch with FRA to procure enough trampoline so that we protect the maize “he said

He urged the FRA at both the provincial and in districts to procure enough trampolines to ensure that the maize is secure.

The Permanent Secretary said this when he visited Kampemba Satellite Depot in Chinsali district to check on the progress of the crop buying exercise.

He also advised FRA to start transporting excess maize from satellite depots into main storage sheds to create enough space for procuring more maize.

Dr Bwalya said the government wants to buy all the maize that farmers have brought at the satellite depots but noted that some satellites are experiencing storage challenges of storage.

“I’m informed that we have procured more than 20,000 bags of maize and this goes to show that our farmers produced enough maize and we expect to buy more maize as you can see the place is all littered with maize, “he said

He further urged the extension officers to work with the depot clerk and supervise the construction of a temporal slab to put the maize which would be purchased from farmers.

Meanwhile, the Permanent secretary has disclosed that the government is constructing six storage sheds, to help store more maize in the Province.

He said three sheds are being constructed in Mpika district and another three in Chinsali district.

“We are making six extra sheds, big-big sheds, three in Mpika and three in Chinsali so that we can mop all the maize that we are buying this year and that which we bought last year, we are going to secure it,’’ he said.

Kampemba Satellite Depot Clerk, Hastings Banda, stated that the team has temporarily suspended the buying exercise as they have nowhere to put the new grains.

Mr Banda disclosed that FRA working with the community have since started constructing a temporal slab to store more maize and clear the farmers.

He said the agency has so far procured about 20,000 by 50 kg bags of maize while more maize is still awaiting to be purchased.

Meanwhile, Ireen Bwalya, a farmer from the area, thanked the government for the initiative to pay the farmers through mobile money and bank accounts.

Ms Bwalya said the initiative is serving farmers of their precious time to do other things instead of waiting at the bank.