Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Food Reserve Agency [FRA] has announced that it will buy white maize at the price of one hundred and 60 kwacha per fifty-kilogram bag an increase of ten kwacha from last year’s price.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka today, FRA Board Chairperson Kelvin Hambwezya says the agency undertook a process of crop price scenario analysis and consulted with some key stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.
Mr. Hambwezya says the agency is targeting to purchase at least 170,000 metric tons of white maize
He says FRA also plans to buy 1,500 metric tons of soya beans and 1000 metric tons of paddy rice.
Mr. Hambwezya says the agency will buy a 50-kilogram bag of soya beans at 550 kwacha while paddy rice will be bought at 200 kwacha per 40-kilogram bag.
He has urged the farmers to adhere to the general practice of ensuring they clean the maize at their farmsteads to avoid congestion at the FRA depots.
Mr. Hambwezya has also implored all FRA personnel and other stakeholders to uphold rationality, prudence, transparency and accountability for public resources.
And Mr. Hambwezya says the agency will ensure the guidelines that have been put in place by the government to promote health and safety practices are extended to the workers that will be buying the crop and the farmers supplying the crop through wearing of masks, social and physical distancing and good hygiene at depots and avoiding congestion at depots.