The Food Reserves Agency (FRA) in Luwingu district has run out of space to store the maize it bought from peasant farmers in this year’s crop marking season.
This came to light when Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Bernard Mpundu, visited the FRA storage shed during an on the spot check.
Mr Mpundu found the storage sheds filled to capacity and there was no maize that was being offloaded from lorries since there was nowhere to store it.
At least 24 lorries loaded with FRA maize were found on the scene but had no place to offload the consignment, the development which angered drivers in the area.
Mr Mpundu has since instructed Luwingu District Commissioner, Chomba Chileshe, to look for a temporal space where transporters will be able to offload the maize within the FRA premises.
Meanwhile, Mr Mpundu has expressed happiness that farmers are selling their maize to the government and not to briefcase buyers.
He explained that Luwingu district is one of the districts that have responded positively as farmers are contributing to the national strategic food reserve.
Earlier, FRA Assistant Marketing Manager for Luwingu, Oswald Mulenga, said the two storage sheds in the district are full adding that there is nowhere to keep the maize.
Mr Mulenga explained that the big shed has already been filled with 61,200 bags of maize while the smaller one has 26, 256 bags.
He indicated that the trucks found at FRA sheds will not be allowed to offload until the sheds are cleared.
And Luwingu District Commissioner, Chomba Chileshe, assured Mr Mpundu that a permanent solution will be found in order to offload maize that is still on the trucks.
Ba LT you have become bamapyete, ubufi!
Why are you accusing them of lying? When they cite a government official?
“This came to light when Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Bernard Mpundu, visited the FRA storage shed during an on the spot check.”
This is very good news from Luwingu. The shortage of maize grain storage space is a good problem to have.
Of it’s true then it’s a positive development. In some areas FRA has closed some depots because there’s no maize. Authorities must quickly find space to store that maize as it’ll be needed somewhere. Maize is currently in short supply and many millers are now offering K6 per kg which comes to K300 per 50kg against the K280 that FRA is offering. So take advantage of the good turnout in Luwingu
How can such a thing happen? In a country where mealie meal prices are hitting the roof? If ever there was an instance of Chimbwi no plan.
How can a farmer fail to plan for his own harvest? He should leave the job to others
I was in my home district Luwingu two weeks ago. Not only is there a lot of maize. There is also a lot of beans. Truck loads of beans are there to be seen at the main bus station.
FRA IS A SCAM RAMPANT THEFT NEVER IN THE PAST DECADE HAVE THEIR PURCHASES AND SALES BALANCED BY 1000’s of TONS
FIND ANOTHER SYSTEM
ZNS usually mops up the maize stocks at the end of the crop marketing season.
So no need to be alarmed.
They did it last year
What kind of business model is that? ZNS making any sustenable profit from it or its just a sponge for govt losses?