No more maize wastage- FRA
WE have made dramatic improvement in the storage of maize such that there is no more grain going to waste, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) executive director Chola Kafwabulula has said.
In an interview in Lusaka, Mr. Kafwabulula said the improvement had angered traders who used to buy under grade maize resulting from bad storage practices.
He said the traders used to buy the under grade maize from FRA for resale to opaque beer breweries and stock feed manufacturers.
“We have received complaints from some of our clients that we are no longer selling them under grade, which they used to buy from us in the past. They used to sell this maize to the breweries and people who are involved in stock feed manufacturing.
“These people are not happy with us and my explanation is that this is under grade they are talking about is substandard maize or maize which is rotting. The question is why should it become substandard when we are keeping it?” Mr. Kafwabulula said.
He said in the past a lot of people were using the cover of under grade maize to steal even good maize.
“Under this new management we have decided that we will no longer have under grade maize. If you find a lot of under grade it means the maize has not been properly kept. The substandard maize was a cost to a taxpayer because we buy a bag of maize at K60 and a bag of substandard is around K20. Who is losing out on that difference? It is the taxpayer and we are saying no we cannot allow that.
Mr. Kafwabulula said FRA had engaged a lot of casual workers to help us secure the maize.
“Also, we have paid a good number of transporters that are moving the maize. Apart from that, we have also dispatched our own FRA trucks. They are all over the country, especially Southern province in Kazungula-Sesheke area.
“As management we will ensure that not even one grain goes to waste. In terms of crop wastage we have managed to reduce it to below 0.5 percent while the industry only allows for 2 percent.”