We have enough maize stocks for Northern Province -FRA
By Japhet Munkondya.
Kasama.–The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Northern Province has assured the public that the region has sufficient maize stock in its storage sheds from last marketing season.
FRA Provincial Marketing Coordinator, Timothy Chanda says the province has over 16 thousand metric tons of white maize in its storage which is enough for the region.
He said the region will be going into the next crop marketing season while it is food secure as it has enough maize seated in its sheds across the province including in Chilubi, Luwingu, Mbala and Mporokoso districts.
Mr Chanda said this when Kasama District Commissioner Annie Paul visited his office to familiarize herself with the operations of FRA.
Mr Chanda has further projected a good harvest from the province this crop marketing season.
He said his office has since heightened the preparations for the 2024 crop marketing season.
Mr Chanda said FRA has started receiving the materials which will be used in the next marketing season.
He said employment of FRA seasonal staff will commence next week and staff will be deployed in the field by the first week of May so that farmers can start interacting with FRA officers even before they harvest their maize from the fields.
Mr Chanda said FRA is aware that there will be so many players wanting to buy maize from farmers.
And Kasama District Commissioner Annie Paul expressed happiness that the agency has started positioning itself for the coming crop marketing season.
Mrs Paul urged the FRA to prepare adequately for the marketing season stating that many players are coming to the region to buy maize as most parts of the country do not have the commodity because of the droughts which were experienced in other areas.
She further advised the agency to put up modalities that will attract farmers to sell their commodity to them.
The district commissioner said farmers should not be stuck at FRA sheds because of lack of marketing equipment such as empty grain bags.
Mrs Paul said the agency should be aware of unscrupulous individuals who are ready to do all illegal things in order to disrupt the FRAs smooth buying of maize from the farmers.
She also assured farmers that government will this year pay them on time.
ZANIS
