The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) through Kalabo District Cooperative Union has purchased a total of 13,645 by 40 kilogramme bags of unpolished rice worth K 818.7 million from ten satellite depots in the district in Western Province.
Kalabo District Cooperative Union General Manager Bruce Lisimba disclosed in an interview with ZANIS in Kalabo yesterday.
Mr. Lisimba said the 13,645 bags of unpolished rice have been bought at a unit price of K60,000 per 40 Kilogramme bag.
He named the ten satellite depots where bags of unpolished rice were bought from Luanginga, Nang’umba, Sihole, Ng’uma, Sikushi and Tuuwa.
The crop was also bought from Lulang’unyi, Sikongo, Nyengo and Kande depots.
Mr. Lisimba said the rice would be resold later within Kalabo district at a unit price that will be determined by Government.
He said so far 9,348 x 40 bags of unpolished rice has been transported to the FRA main warehouse at Winela area in Kalabo Boma.
Mr. Lisimba said the remaining 4,300 bags of unpolished rice were yet to be transported to the boma.
But he feared that the transportation exercise would be hampered by flooding on some routes which would soon be impassable due to continuous heavy rains.
Mr. Lisimba further identified areas that were likely to be affected by floods soon as Sikushi, Ng’uma, Sihole, and Lulang’unyi.
The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is a Government funded agency that buys crops from farmers who do not have market and transport for their produce.
The FRA buys farmers’ crops in satellite depots that set within their (farmers) vicinity and later resells the crops when and where demand arose.
Its mission statement is to secure national food reserves and help take wealth to rural Zambia.
ZANIS
We need diversification now FRA is slowly becming the real food reserve agency next we want to hear that they have purchased kasava from Luapula other it risks being called maize resrve agency
thats more money in the pockets of those peasant farmers in kalabo. those are practical and workable govt policies not just some old man in his dreams saying vote for me I will put more cash in your pockets. pipo of kalabo thats the govt in action grow more rice and you will be rewarded no promisory notes
Vote wisely people in Kalabo, yes they have put money in your pockets for now but they know it’s election time so they try to be as efficient as possible. What about the other years, let them not take you forgranted. My rice went to waste the previous year because they could not collect. Lets vote for a new gov that will make FRA more accountable.
I love Mongu rice. This is why I want to tell all Lozi People, we are not all with MMD in trashing your aspirations for a better province. I think that all provinces must manage their local affairs instead of allowig the corrupt people mismanage our country the way they keep on doing. Now they want to sell off schools to make accountability much more impossible since only illiterates will be the graduates as the government does not even have inspectors for their schools.
Rice production in the province can help alleviate poverty in the country and create more jobs for the local pipo which rich we can subsequetly export to DRC,angola and China market is ready get in touch with me.Thanks!
Now that is how you put more money in peoples pockets. They should work and earn the money, not the Sata /PF concept of dishing out cash.
This is how you put money in people’s pockets. PF I hope you are taking down some notes. Good job FRA and I 100% agree with #1 Nalu, the FRA really needs to diversify.
Barotse Agreement given opened government minds to corrupt people by buying low standard rice to Shut them!!!
Rice from Barotseland is not of low grade. It passed a very high standard. Even Japan wants to import it. What are you talking about?
It’s good that the government is empowering the local people of Kalabo in Western Province. I just hope the locals don’t sell all their rice and then start asking for food aid after. The floods issue also needs to be dealt with, I am sure some dams can be built up to trap the water so that rice and other crops can be grown all year round. The floods can be used for much more positive initiatives not just the Kuomboka. We Nkoyas have an interest in Kalabo, it is important for the government to reach out to people in the rural areas across the country so that they can appreciate the importance of central government.
When I was in Limulunga, rice and fish was somewhat expensive. The only crop that was next to free was Casava. I think the FRA should buy more of that too.