Millers kick-start maize purchases

MILLERS have started buying maize from farmers across the country despite the high moisture content levels of 13 percent.

The millers are targeting to buy up to 1.3 million tonnes of the commodity this maize marketing season.

According to Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) chairperson Andrew Chintala, some millers were currently buying maize from farmers and were immediately using the commodity.

Mr Chintala said most millers had to option but to buy the maize with high moisture content levels.

The required moisture content level is between 12 percent and 12.5 percent.

Mr Chintala said this at the weekend in an interview in Lusaka.

“We have positioned ourselves for this coming maize marketing season to participate actively. A lot of people are anticipating that it is going to be a tough year looking at the expected yields.

“As millers we have tried to prepare ourselves to immediately the season kicks in, we want to be the first ones on the market so that we can secure enough grain as possible. We are waiting and checking almost every week the moisture content levels countrywide,” Mr Chintala said.

Mr Chintala however said millers were optimistic that the moisture content levels would drop to about 12.5 percent in the next few days.

Millers, he said, were targeting to buy between one million and 1.3 million of maize from the market.

Zambia is expected to produce about two million tonnes of maize this year.

“Our target always is about 1.8 million and 1.9 million because that is our annual requirement so since it is not only the millers on the market and we expected two million on the market so we are targeting to buy even one million or 1.3 million.

“That will be good for us considering that the traders are also ready to enter the markets well as the Food Reserve Agency,” Mr Chintala said.