THE Government will not release additional funding unless the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) exhausts the K80 billion allocated in the Budget for this year’s marketing season.
Finance and National Planning Minister, Ng’andu Magande said during the week that the FRA should establish whether there is surplus maize in Zambia to warrant additional funds from the Government.
Mr Magande said discussions were going on between ministries of Finance and Agriculture, but that it was rather too early to discuss supplementary funding when the K80 billion had not been exhausted.
Last week Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Bernard Namachila said that his ministry had engaged the ministry of Finance to seek additional funding for crop purchases.
He said FRA needed more than K500 billion to buy over 400 tonnes of maize this year.
“I can confirm that we are discussing the issue of additional funds but the question is have they (FRA) exhausted the K80 billion that was allocated in the Budget and how long will it take for them to finish that money,” Mr Magande said.
He said the money would not be release at once to avoid a situation where money would lie idle in banks.
The marketing season kicked off early this month on a slow note as the FRA opened only 124 out of 700 satellite depots that were used in the last marketing season.
Meanwhile, farmers in Mwinilunga District have expressed fear of being swindled by shrewd briefcase businessmen and women if the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) does not open up more deports in the district.
Mwinilunga Farmers Cooperative Union Chairman Julus Musesa told ZANIS in an interview that the two existing FRA deports in the district are inadequate to carter for all the farmers in the district.
Mr. Musesa lamented that this scenario exposes many farmers in the district to the exploitative briefcase businessmen and women who lure farmers to sell their farm produce at very low prices.
He said farmers are forced to sell their maize and other farm produce to briefcase businessmen and women due to transport costs borne when transporting their farm produce to the two existing deports in the district.
Mr. Musesa said it would be unfortunate if the FRA does not heed the farmers’ appeal as the district is expected to produce a good harvest.
Mr. Musesa also appealed to government to lift the ban on the export of maize to allow farmers with no access to the FRA to export their maize to neighboring countries for better prices.
He further urged the FRA to revise the 28 000 number of maize bags it has set out to buy from the district because the yield will outstrip the set target.
This follows the FRA pronouncement that it would only purchase 28 000 bags of maize from Mwinilunga District.
ENDS/LM/AM/ZANIS
off topic
President Mwanawasa is reported to be sick according to BBC, He has been taken to hospital in Egypt on an Emergecy HEALTHY. I hope Mugabe is not Responsible for His sickness. balimwipika BOB Mwanawamukulu.
It is such a critical moment as his voice as SADCC Chairaman will be greatly valued during this conference.
Wonder what kabinga will say in his place as Mr Sikatana was fired for asking neighbouring countries to take a tough stance on Zimbabawe.
Get well soon mwisho.
I hope he is not doing a chiluba, who faints every time he is confronted in court. Bob is after PLM and is aiming to harrass him. Comon levy, you can stand up to this little tyrant, we are behind you
Get well soon mwanake!
Levy is in hospital in egypt. as a concerned creature, i did like to suggest that chiti-mukulu, bemba chief should take over. lupando mwape can remain as a vice president, and should bring an end to the wrangles among the opposition party of mazoka and sata
“He said FRA needed more than K500 billion to buy over 400 tonnes of maize this year.” LT did you mean 400,000 metric tonnes? LT like others have stated before, some quality control would do here.
#5 what brand of weed are you smoking? Chitimukulu…Lupando Mwape …Mazoka…this weed must be lethal, lol