The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in North-Western Province has purchased over 160,000 metric tonnes of maize more than double its target but the surge has put pressure on the Province’s storage facilities.
Provincial Marketing Coordinator Dickson Musema disclosed that the unprecedented purchases, nearly four times the storage capacity, had forced the agency to improvise ways to safeguard the surplus.
Mr Musema disclosed this when the Minister of Agriculture inspected FRA satellite depots in Kasempa today.
“This season, our target was 80,000 metric tonnes, but we have purchased 162,000 metric tonnes more than double the target, this is four times our storage capacity, which stands at 77,000 metric tonnes and is now 98 percent full,” He said.
Mr Musema added that only about 5,000 metric tonnes of storage space remain which included 3,000 in Zambezi and 2,000 in Solwezi while all other districts had reached full capacity.
“That is why you see us improvising by stacking maize on sandbags and blocks. About 40 percent of the stock has already been moved from satellite depots to holding depots, while 60 percent is still in transit,” He said.
Mr Musema said FRA had secured additional storage space in the Copperbelt, Central, and Lusaka Provinces to manage the surplus, also highlighted efforts to extend marketing services to farmers.
“Last season, we operated 150 satellite depots, but this year we increased to 195 depots to reach every farmer. The maize that is yet to be transported is safely stacked on slabs or wooden platforms and covered with new tarpaulins, with no bag exposed to rain,” He added.
“Starting tomorrow, farmers will begin receiving their payments. We hope the balance will be released soon so they can purchase farming inputs, especially as rains have already started in the province,” Mr Musema said.
Minister of Agriculture Reuben Mtolo emphasised the importance of securing maize once it was brought to FRA depots.
“There are times we hear reports that maize has gotten spoiled or soaked. Our responsibility ends at the main or satellite depots. It is difficult for us to cover maize that is still in the villages. Farmers must bring it within our perimeter fences, where it can be properly secured,” Mr Mtolo added.
He further added that all maize within FRA depots must be protected, whether it had been purchased or not.
“Once maize is brought inside the FRA perimeter fence whether we have entered it in our books or paid for it or not it must be covered. There should be no maize at the satellite depots that is left exposed. That is the message we want to pass,” Mr Mtolo said.
He stressed that the government will continue to monitor maize storage to safeguard the country’s food reserves and protect the bumper harvest.
