Food Reserve Agency shocked millers want to buy maize kept as national strategic reserves

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has urged millers to buy adequate stocks of maize during this year’s on-going crop marketing season in order to sustain their business operations and reduce dependence on the agency.

FRA Public Relations Coordinator, John Chipandwe, said the agency had observed that despite the on-going crop marketing season and stable supply of maize on the local market, some millers have continued making maize purchase applications to the agency.

Chipandwe said this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday and made available to Zambia Monitor.

He maintained that the agency was no longer selling maize and further urged millers to buy the commodity directly from farmers or from the open market while it was still available.

“In this regard, the agency wishes to notify millers that it is no longer selling maize and further wishes to urge them to buy the commodity (maize) directly from farmers or from the open market while the commodity is still available,” Chipandwe said.

He said the crop marketing season was currently in progress and the agency was aware that players in the milling sector are buying maize from the local market.

Chipandwe said as a result, the agency does not expect millers to be making maize purchase applications.

“The agency wishes to remind millers that they are a key stakeholder that play a critical role in sustaining national food security and should therefore always buy adequate maize stocks to sustain their business operations instead of depending on national strategic food reserves,” Chipandwe said.

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