Stakeholders have expressed concern at FRA’s handling of the crop marketing season.
The Zambia National Farmers Union ZNFU said it is deeply concerned at what it has termed “lethargic approach” of the Food Reserve Agency in this years crop marketing season.
The Union President Dr. Evelyn Nguleka observed that what is happening in the current marketing season is reminiscent of the past seasons where the FRA continues to breach their own 10 to 14 payment window for farmers and that nothing much seems to have been done to address the challenges.
Dr. Nguleka noted that the continued late payment of the farmers is disappointing as farmers have to wait for the hard earned income and that it is affecting their planning for next farming season .
“It is regrettable that every year, farmers have been experiencing the same challenges during the maize marketing season regarding the FRA breaching its 10 to 14 days payment window, and nothing much seems to have been done to address the chronic anomaly.
“These delays in payments could be a cue to undoing the growth of the agriculture sector that the farmers have worked hard to prop up. It is disappointing that farmers have to sweat for their income both at production and in marketing processes,”Dr. Nguleka
She added, “In effect, this anomaly means the FRA is neglecting to pay farmers on time and this is affecting the farmers’ preparations for their next farming season. It is very well known that farmers only receive their hard earned money once year, which they have to re-invest for the subsequent planting season.”
And the Union has called on the FRA to live by its word and pay out the remaining amount so as to avoid the negative effects of late payments.
“Already, the farmers are not happy with the low base price at which they have been arm-twisted to sell their crops, and the desperately slow pace at which the FRA is purchasing and disbursing payments is unjust.
“From the data collected thus far, FRA has only paid out a total of K43, 598, 080, out of K263, 473,168 owed to farmers for the crops sold to the FRA since the start of the marketing season, representing 16.5% of the purchased crop.
ZNFU is urging FRA to take into consideration the effects of delayed payments to farmers, and live by its word by paying out the balance of K219, 875,088 owed to farmers with great speed.”
[pullquote]“Not withstanding that, they are paying a maximum of 20 farmers per Satellite. That means even if 100 farmers sell maize at one satellite only 20 will be paid. This means 80 farmers times 80 satellite will have to wait quite a long time, ” Chief Nsolo said[/pullquote]
Meanwhile Senior Chief Nsokolo 19th of Mbala has accused the FRA of lamentably failing to plan for the crop marketing season.
The Chief said that farmers in his area are spending long nights at FRA depots due to logistical challenges such the lack of labelled bags which have run out in most FRA depots in Mbala.
“The Food Reserve Agency has lamentably failed to properly plan for the buying of the grain this year.
“To start with, the FRA has not properly labelled 2014 Grain bags, for the last two weeks there hasn’t been any bags at all ,this has led hundreds of farmers to spend days and nights in the cold at various satellite depots in Mbala.
“Not withstanding that, they are paying a maximum of 20 farmers per Satellite. That means even if 100 farmers sell maize at one satellite only 20 will be paid. This means 80 farmers times 80 satellite will have to wait quite a long time, ” Chief Nsolo said
The traditional leader also called on the people working for FRA to be considerate of others.
“I don’t see the logic for whatever reasons which would be good enough to let your fellow human being sleep in the cold and in the open at the mercy of snakes, mosquitoes and scorpions as opposed to giving them bags to do the packaging at their farms produce, ” the Chief said
The Chief has since called on FRA to put its house in order as the existence depends on the farmer.
“These ivory tower FRA managers dwellers should be down to earth in approaching marketing strategies with a human face. The farmer is the reason of they have been employed and appointed,” he said.
Cute girl !!!
I think Govt has to do more whn it comes to Agro-Economy. Most Zambians depent on Agriculture for their living.
Maybe, just maybe we should re-introduce NAMBOARD! Anyway, chaps like Mushota will not know what I’m talking about
This is one of the most corrupt, highly mismanaged organisation in Zambia. …no one has ever bothered to restructure it as it only benefits the political elite. GBM was eating from here he stepped down another corrupt politician took over.
Rethinking the whole process into the value chain end product mealie meal.
Its like you transport maize from Itezhi tezhi or Shangombo encouring storage, transport costs and other to a central locality like Lusaka and then meal the same maize into mealie meal only to be transported back to the same place encouring and adding to the cost of the eventual product Why not manage at the local silos and feed the local milling plant and excess meal mealie produced then transported to places where needed.
Review the cost structure of a bag of meali meal
As for national food security an issue to purchase based on what has been estimated as for storage and not for consumption in the short term
Once beaten twice shy.The issue of FRA has been with us for a long period of time.By now we would have come up with the best method to deal with our farmers but we are now moving from bad to worse.My country men why should we treat our farmers like this.
I am disapointed my country men
Since the advent of multi-party politics, the word”stakeholder” has really found prominence in Zambia. I’m pretty sure by now we have plenty of Stakeholder Bandas and Stakeholder Mbewes. Lol