The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has closed 17 inactive satellite depots due to poor flow of maize in Lundazi.
Of the 20 satellite depots, 17 have been dormant during the current marketing season, while three are still active.
The agency says so far, it has only managed to buy the crop from 11 depots, with four not buying more than 2.5 metric tonnes of white maize.
“The agency has since closed 17 dormant depots leaving only the three active depots, namely Mthwalo, Lumezi and Egg Chicken. FRA in Lundazi had a target of acquiring 19,200 metric tonne of white maize but has only managed to buy about 502 tonnes,” this is contained in a Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) weekly brief availed to the Daily Mail recently.
Meanwhile, farmers in Petauke district have called on seed companies in the area to give assurance on the availability of soya beans seed on the market before the onset of rains.
ZNFU says it is sad that farmers did not plant soya beans last year during the 2015/16 farming season due to lack of the commodity
