Maize soaked at FRA depots in chipangali
SEVERAL bags of white maize have been soaked at the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) satellite depots in Chipangali after the area experienced early rains, Chipangali Town Council Chairperson Maxson Nkhoma has confirmed.
Mr Nkhoma expressed worry that the maize lying at the depots, waiting for repackaging, might go to waste because the temporal bags were now torn and the grain soaked.
In an interview, Mr Nkhoma blamed the FRA for having delayed to buy the maize from farmers.
“Yes, I can confirm that the rains experienced in Chipangali did soak some maize for farmers in various FRA satellite depots. It’s a sad situation and this is because the agency is delaying to buy maize from farmers,” Mr Nkhoma said.
He also said delay by the FRA to supply farmers with empty grain bags on time and buy the maize would result in farmers incurring big losses. Early this week, FRA public relations coordinator John Chipandwe announced that the agency would resume the purchase of maize grain following concerns by farmers that delivered their white maize to satellite depots countrywide.
Mr Chipandwe however said the purchase would be restricted to maize already delivered at various satellite depots countrywide, adding that no new deliveries will be bought by the agency.
He also urged farmers to exercise patience with regards to the delivery of empty grain bags as the agency had continued delivering them as and when received from suppliers.
“It’s worth noting that FRA bags take a bit of time to manufacture as they are special bags specially meant for long term storage of grain, hence the seeming delay in the delivery of the bags to depots,” Mr Chipandwe said.