— FRA procures more than 11, 000 by 50 kilogrammes of maize in Southern Province

FRA procures more than 11, 000 by 50 kilogrammes of maize in Southern Province

Choma, July, 30, 2014, ZANIS —  The Food Reserve Agency(FRA) in Southern Province says it has so far bought more than 11, 000 by 50 kilogrammes of white maize since the exercise started on 30th June 2014 .

 

FRA Provincial Marketing Coordinator Trynes Lungu says K150,000  has so far been paid to farmers for the maize.

 

Mr. Lungu said the maize buying exercise first commenced in Sinazongwe District and that all farmers in the district who delivered maize have been paid.

 

 

ZANIS reports that the Agency’s Provincial Marketing Coordinator said this in a telephone interview in Choma district, today.

 

He  explained that  his agency received at total of K154, 000 of which K150, 080 has since been paid their dues in Sinazongwe District.

 

He said that the exercise which started in Sinazongwe where the maize meet the required 12.5 per cent moisture content earlier than other areas in the Province has now been rolled out to districts such as Choma, Kazungula, Sesheke and Kalomo districts respectively, as of yesterday.

 

“ We first started our maize purchases in Sinazongwe first where the maize moisture content was at 12.5 per cent as compared to other districts but as I speak to you now we have rolled out to the rest of the province,” said Mr. Lungu.

 

He said in Choma the agency has as of yesterday bought 1, 142 by 50 kilogrammes bags of maize from farmers.

 

And Mr. Lungu said the agency expects to buy 48,00 metric tonnes of white maize from farmers in the entire province from the 88 depots that has so far been opened and will eventually be increased to 93 depots.

 

He said the agency was optimistic that despite private sectors having started buying maize from farmers earlier there was still more maize from farmers to be bought for strategic food reserves.

“We are very positive that even if the private sector started buying maize from farmers earlier we are still very optimistic that we shall meet our target for the strategic food reserves,” Mr. Lungu said.