Lunte,—The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Lunte has procured over 82,300 by 50-kg bags of maize in the district.
And Lunte District Commissioner Joseph Chilando says the crop marketing season is progressing well in the district.
He explained that all 20 satellite depots in the districts are buying the commodities from farmers.
“Previously, we had 16 satellites, but the number was increased to 20 because Lunte District is one of the districts that received enough rainfall, we had a bumper harvest, and we are receiving an overwhelming response, from our farmers,” said Mr. Chilando.
Mr. Chilando said this in an interview with ZANIS in Lunte yesterday.
Meanwhile, the district commissioner has noted with concern the increased number of briefcase buyers in the district.
Mr. Chilando noted that briefcase buyers have invaded the place and are enticing farmers to sell their maize to them.
He has since encouraged farmers to shun briefcase buyers and instead continue selling their produce to the FRA.
He said selling their produce to FRA will enable farmers to contribute to the food security of the country, especially in light of the drought situation that has affected most parts of the country. “I urge all farmers to sell their maize to FRA and not the briefcase buyer who wants to take this maize out of the country. Let us please contribute to the food security of the country,” he said.
The district commissioner has further called on the FRA to pay farmers on time so they may avoid selling their maize to briefcase buyers.
“An emphasis on the early payments of farmers by FRA, as this is one of the reasons they are going to sell their produce to briefcase buyers,” he said.
Mr. Chilando has also called on the ministries of Agriculture, and Fisheries, and Livestock in the district to spearhead and encourage farmers to take up irrigation farming.
“We have many farrows in the district, and Mukupa Kaoma alone has seven farrows that can be used for irrigation, and our goal as government is for people to have food throughout the year,” he said.
And Patrick Musonda, a farmer who was found selling maize at Mukupa Kaoma Satellite, thanked government for increasing the number of workers at the depot.
Mr. Musonda also called on government to consider increasing the number of farming inputs that the district receives, as it has good and favourable rainfall for farming.
“We can greatly contribute to the food security of the country because we are dedicated farmers, especially small-scale farmers,” he said.
Medon Musonda, another farmer, has called on FRA to pay them early as the process is taking longer than expected. Meanwhile, Brian Mulenga, who has sold his maize to a briefcase buyer, revealed that he made the decision because he needed the money faster.
He explained that briefcase buyers are more prompt in their payments than FRA.
“If government can change the system that they are using for payments, it would be very easy for us to sell our maize to FRA, he said.
He added that, the process of packaging the maize is also much faster and does not require them to spend nights.
“The sieves that FRA uses take up a lot of time you find that you can spend two or three days before you are attended to, but the other place does not even use that and it is much faster for us and we can go back to our villages on time,” He said.

By Sylvia Zulu
ZANIS