News Informants Zambia

IT'S LACK OF MONEY, STORAGE CAPACITY NOT MOISTURE CONTENT DELAYING MAIZE PURCHASE - FRA OFFICIALS REVEAL TO KBN TV

A KBN TV EXCLUSIVE

Food Reserve Agency officials have sharply differed with their Board Chairman Suresh Desai, disputing the high moisture content narrative as the real reason for the Agency's failure to open the maize marketing season and announce the floor price for the grain.

High placed sources within the Agency have revealed that contrary to Desai's claims, the Ministry of Agriculture through its ZARI department has already determined the moisture content to be below 10 percent.

"The 12.5 percent moisture is neither here nor there because currently, the moisture is below 10 percent according to information from the Phytosanitary Department at ZARI in Chilanga which collected data samples countrywide," the sources revealed.

They further disclosed that the real reason for the Agency's failure to start buying maize is lack of finances as Government is still owing K7 billion to commercial banks that it borrowed last year to pay the farmers, adding that according to contract terms, the maize stock belongs to the banks until Government liquidates what was borrowed.

They wondered why the FRA Board could override a Presidential directive to announce the maize floor price on account of moisture content. During his recent campaigns President Hakainde Hichilema directed FRA to announce the maize floor price and start buying the grain from farmers.

"The real reason is that Government is trying to avoid the embarrassment that happened last year when FRA got maize but failed to pay the farmers. Upto now, Government is still owing K7 billion it borrowed to pay farmers last year" the source said.

"Announcing the maize floor price has nothing to do with moisture content, the two are totally different and should not be confused," another source said.

Impeccable sources further revealed that the FRA storage facilities which can only take 1.1 million metric tonnes were another limiting factor considering that the Agency only managed to export 200,000 metric tonnes to Malawi plus some maize given to the school feeding programme.

"As things stand today, we don't have storage facilities even if the Government was to start buying maize today. Our shades are still full with last year's stock which technically belongs to the commercial banks that Government is still owing K7 billion," the sources said.

They challenged the public to find out why the Press conference that was scheduled to announce the floor price at 10:30hrs in the morning, only took place at 15hrs, claiming that there was alot of political machinations to come up with moisture content as the reason for delayed purchase of maize.

FRA officials bemoaned the departure of over 50 members of staff with institutional memory, calling for the depoliticisation of FRA, claiming that the Agency's Board Chair is an active member of the ruling party’s management committee where he chairs Food Security.

Paul Chilambwe the Zambia must go back to school advocate please follow him for scholarship to write GCE.