Increase FRA purchase capacity - farmers
INCREASE FRA maize purchase capacity in the 2022 harvest season from the current annual target of 500, 000 metric tons to over 1.5 million metric tons to allow the agency mop up all the produce from farmers, the Small-Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has urged government.
SAFADA Executive Director Boyd Moobwe said increasing funding allocation to the FRA would not only reduce maize produce wastage like the case in this year’s marketing season but also result in the country having enough food for national strategic reserve.
He wondered why government did not budget for enough funds for maize purchase when it was clear that the country was going to record a bumper harvest.
Mr Moobwe said the biggest challenge the maize marketing is facing is that farmers are producing more than enough for local consumption while government has not come up with a proper strategy aimed at ensuring that all the maize is safely stored for future use in case of a drought or famine.
He said while small-scale farmers have over the year increased production due to favorable rain pattern and good agriculture policies by government, the purchase capacity for FRA has remained in the negative.
Mr Moobwe said it’s not only uneconomic but also unfair for the country to continue experiencing maize wastage when the same can be sold to other countries that are experiencing hunger.
He said Government should ensure that the 2020 national budget allocate enough funds to the FRA to be able to buy all the maize from the small- scale farmers, adding that this is the only way the country’s agricultural sector will continue growing. Mr Moobwe said FRA should not only concentrate on satisfying the national strategic reserve but also operate as a business by taking advantage of the high demand of maize in the Southern African region and beyond.