. . . we can’t afford a loss

EDITOR — Your story on the likely bumper maize harvest refers.

The GMB’s inadequacies, among which is limited functional or storage capacity, were and are common knowledge.

The architects of the Command Agriculture initiative will, I am sure, be willing to accept responsibility for the looming disaster should the bumper harvest be realised.

The nation’s leadership must learn to experiment and plan properly before plunging the nation head long into uncharted waters.

I notice that you are now talking of half a million tonnes of maize to be delivered to GMB this coming winter when the project architects said the nation should be expecting delivery of two million tonnes to the GMB at the very minimum.

What has happened to one and half million tonnes even before the bumper harvest?

On a practical note, if we indeed are still expecting close to a million tonnes or more of surplus maize, the GMB should immediately begin forward selling the surplus produce and what, if anything, is in its silos, to create space.

The GMB also needs recapitalisation. The WFP should be approached for assistance to spruce up all the silos and management systems. The Ministry of Agriculture should make hay, as they say, while the sun shines. Raise Badza, Via e-mail.