FRA STARTS MAIZE COMMUNITY SALE IN LUWINGU

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Luwingu District of Northern Province has started selling maize to community members in the district.

Luwingu District Commissioner, Chomba Chileshe says the move is aimed at averting the shortage of mealie meal in the area.

Mr Chileshe adds that the agency will be selling a 50-kilogram bag of white maize at 320 Kwacha.

He has since advised government officers who would want to buy the maize to submit their names through their respective heads of department who would then compile a list and submit through to the district administrative officer.

The District Commissioner said the community will however be buying the maize direct from FRA. He explained that individual households will only be required to purchase only one by fifty-kilogram bag per month.

ZANIS reports that Mr Chileshe disclosed the development during the District Development Coordinating Committee meeting (DDCC) held in the district youth resource center yesterday.

And the community in Luwingu have commended government through FRA for starting to sell maize to the public.

Davies Mukuka a resident of Kapisha village in chief Chipal’s Chiefdom commended government for embarking on the sale of maize to the people in the district.

Mr. Mukuka said the sale of the maize will allow residents including some civil servants to access the maize and take it to hummer mills.

“A lot of people including some civil servants were struggling to buy a mealie meal which is going at k340 per 25kg, instead they depended on maize sold in gallons at the local markets which they later used to take to the grinding mill “he said.

And civil servants who declined to be named said the move is long overdue saying the government should have started selling the maize in January.

“At least the situation is coming back to normal as some peasant farmers have started harvesting their maize which they planted in late October 2023,” Said one of the civil servants.

The maize community sale is usually done between January and the harvesting period and is aimed at assisting the community to have access to cheap maize to make mealie -meal.