— FRA hits snag in Kawambwa over weighing of Maize

FRA hits snag in Kawambwa over weighing of Maize

Kawambwa ,  Small scale farmers of Kawambwa central Cooperatives are up in arms against the Food Reserve Agency FRA for not starting to weigh their maize for sale.

The farmers are reportedly to have taken their maize on Sunday for weighing in readiness for sale to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

The farmers that declined to be named revealed this  to ZANIS in Kawambwa district today.

 

They said FRA in the area is not being fair to them because their maize have not yet been weighed since they delivered it to the slab on Sunday
.

They added that they have already constructed the slab according to the measurements the FRA gave them but wonders why weighing of maize has not yet started up to now.

They say Kawambwa start receiving rains early adding their maize might go to waste if the FRA does not start weighing and buying their maize in the area now.

And District Commissioner, Ivo Mpasa told ZANIS n an interview it is not deliberate not to buy maize from farmers of Kawambwa central but the slab Constructed is too small to accommodate the commodity.

 

Mr Mpasa reveals the slab constructed can only accommodate 20,000 x 50 kg bags of maize adding because of the bumper harvest in the area, there is need to expand it.

He says 50,000 x 50 kg bags of maize are expected to be purchased in Kawambwa central alone hence the current slab cannot accommodate it unless it is expanded.

However, the DC notes that the FRA office in Mansa will soon send some trucks to Kawambwa to decongest the new slab so that maize purchases continue.

Besides, he points out that the maize marketing season is going on smoothly adding there are no problems in the area especially that the
government is very quick in releasing funds for maize purchases.

Mr Mpasa says the system of maize buying is very good this year adding his surveys at satellite depots in the area shows farmers are not
spending nights to enable them sell their maize.