Friday, March 29, 2024

Farmers in my Constituency have been waiting for empty grain bags for maize from FRA since August-Sunday Chanda

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Kanchibiya Constituency Member of Parliament Sunday Chilufya Chanda has expressed concern that farmers in his Constituency have been staying at Food Reserve Agency (FRA) depots since August 2021 waiting to be supplied with empty grain bags for their maize.

Speaking when he visited Tazara Corridor Resettlement Scheme, Mung’ang’a FRA depot, Mr. Chanda was woeful to see the maize grain going to waste as sacks that were initially used were damaged due to prolonged exposure to heat from the sun.

Mr. Chanda however assured the farmers that their plight had been brought to the attention of Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Vice President in Parliament and an assurance had been made that the situation would be addressed.

“Government through the Vice President and Minister of Agriculture have assured that empty grain bags are coming and that your maize at FRA depots will be bought. I am also aware that there is still more maize in your homes and we will ask Government to help with finding market for your produce. No single grain must be allowed to go to waste,” he said.

And Mr Chanda also expressed concern with the late payment of farmers that have already supplied their produce to FRA adding that they should be paid in order for them to start preparing for the next farming season on time.

Meanwhile the Kanchibiya lawmaker has stressed the importance of improving agricultural services in the constituency in order for the people to venture into different forms of farming.

“Kanchibiya aspires to become an agriculture hub. So this resettlement area, farming blocks and communities where our people are is very important. There is a lot of livestock in this area, so we are going to support the government dip tank with chemicals to keep your animals safe from disease. I am calling on more people in Kanchibiya to venture into livestock farming too,” he said.

He further said that he would ensure that the completed livestock service centre in the area is commissioned as a way of encouraging more farmers to venture into livestock farming.

He also noted that livestock farming is important and that he would find means of supporting the community with 50 litres of dip at a cost of K15,000 as start up for the project.

“Following your complaint that cattle are dying due to lack of a dip, I will ensure that we find means of buying the dip for you as start up so that we prevent our animals from dying and encourage livestock farming”. He said.

Maize Going to Waste
Maize Going to Waste
Maize Going to Waste
Maize Going to Waste
Maize Going to Waste
Maize Going to Waste

8 COMMENTS

  1. Look at this Sunday Chanda..he conveniently the month of August, why not tell the farmers that PF channelled all funds to their social cash transfer and empowerment programs to hoodwink voters.

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  2. That Sunday Chanda is a foolish man, bags of maize should have been delivered to the farmer between April-May 2021.
    By this time farmers should be receiving fertiliser in readiness for the 2021/22 farming season

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  3. Minister of agriculture is sleeping on duty. He needs to be firm and make sure all maize is secured to safe places by FRA. Some of these FRA officials might want to sabotage the new govt and he needs to travel round the ground and put his foot down. Provincial ministers can assist him as well. DA need to be in place as soon as yesterday to help monitor things on the ground. I am afraid some ministers are losing the opportunity to stump their authority as no nonsense.

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  4. Dip tanks and empty bags of maize, these things should be on each and every farm. So the people are waiting for Gov to bag their harvest? Come on now. Lets take our business serious, farming is a business get that straight. Once you build a dip tank, its lasts a long time with maintenance. No need to take a day off from other farmduties to go and dip your animals some 5miles away. Every farm should have a deep, its like a toilet in a house. Bare minimums!!! Give these farmers loans to build dip tanks in their localities. A mechanic has a tool box an accountant a calculator, farmers should be well equipment with enough tools and skills.

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  5. Paralyzed brains. This was supposed to be given by your party PF. They were still in power when the harvesting season started.

  6. The FRA and FISP are the worst policy failures of successful governments. These costly FRA and FISP donot even address what would spur growth of agriculture amongst smallholder farmers. An expectation has been created that subsidised FRA and FISP would address all the farming business concerns of farmers. These FRA and FISP have crowded out private sector and private initiatives amongst farmers. Cry my beloved country. Over 50 years of independence and no major investments have been made to increase land under irrigation or to have adequate storage facilities for maize and other crops. 50 years down the line we are not able to produce and have a reliable supply line for quality bags to keeo maize and other grains safe? Instead of successfully linking farmers to value chains markets and…

  7. I thought PF were showing off about the successfull farming polices under lungu ??

    It turns out they were all a haphazard patchwork of free handouts depending on where lungu was looking or visiting , because all systems are rotten to the core and don’t work……..

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