Government cautions Maize buyers against using uncertified scales

Government has cautioned maize buyers against using uncertified scales in the purchase of maize or risk having their scales confiscated and fined.

Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWMA) Engineer, Micheal Kalumbu said his agency has embarked on a countrywide operation to inspect whether the maize buyers are using verified scales in a bid to promote fair trade between farmers and buyers.

Speaking in a telephone interview with media in Lusaka today, Mr. Kalumbu explained that by law, maize buyers in Zambia are required to use ZWMA-certified scales to ensure that fair trade is promoted.

“One of our mandate as Zambia Weights and Measures Agency is to ensure that fair trade is promoted between a farmer and a buyer so that a farmer can have value for his or her money”, Mr. Kalumbu said.

Mr. Kalumbu further appealed to farmers to ensure they weigh their maize for sale only on scales which have ZWMA-approved stickers and calibrations to avoid being swindled.

The ZWMA Engineer said that ZWMA will continue to support farmers by ensuring the accuracy of weighing and measuring instruments.

He revealed that his agency has partnered with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the Zambia National Service to carry out random inspections countrywide to make sure that scales used by maize buyers meet the requirements.

He explained that this exercise is in response to complaints by farmers who were swindled continuously in some parts of the country by maize buyers who used inaccurate scales.

ZWMA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry established by the weights and measures Act number 12 of 2003 to regulate all trade measurements in the country in order to protect consumers.