FRA suspends Kaputa maize purchases

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Kaputa district has suspended the buying of the maize from farmers due to a shortage of storage facilities.

And farmers in the district have complained over the non-payment of money for the maize supplied since 1st August 2014.

Kaputa District Agriculture chairperson Philemon Kapoma said the agency has suspended the buying of the maize at over five satellite depots owing to lack of space to store the commodity.

Mr. Kapoma said the main shed at Kaputa Boma has been filled with maize while sheds from other depots have also been filled making it difficult for the agency to continue buying more maize from the farmers.

He said FRA has so far bought over 94,000 by 50 kilogram bags from the 91,000 which was earlier allocated to the district.

Mr. Kapoma  told ZANIS in an interview today that transporters have also stopped ferrying the purchased maize from satellite depots due to the shortage of storage space.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kapoma said farmers are appealing to the government to pay them their outstanding money for maize supplied to the FRA since 1^st August.

He said the agency has failed to pay them the money since that time stating that it has put them in an awkward situation as they need to pay school fees when school reopen next Monday.

He said the FRA started the season on a promising note as it used to pay the farmers within a week of supplying the maize adding that it has now gone a month without paying farmers.

Mr. Kapoma has since appealed to the government to help the agency pay farmer’s their money.

FRA district representatives however refused to comment on the matter when contacted by ZANIS in Kaputa today.