FRA To Buy One Million Tonnes Maize At K110 For 50kg

The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) will pay K110 for a 50kg bag of white maize in this year’s crop marketing season, according to the organization’s Executive Director Chola Kafwabulula.

Mr Kafwabulula has also confirmed that the FRA plans to buy up one million metric tonnes of maize as strategic reserves, as previously announced by President Edgar Lungu. 

During a media briefing Mr Kafwabulula said that he expected the private sector to purchase the remaining supply. Projections are that Zambia will this year produce 3,387,469 metric tonnes of maize during the harvest.

Meanwhile, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has congratulated farmers on the bumper crop. The group’s President Jervis Zimba noted the achievement despite the high cost of inputs and uneven rainfall and stressed the importance for off-takers to pay a good price to farmers on time so they can meet the rising costs of inputs for the next farming season.

The FRA has also announced a price of K150 for 50kg of soya beans, while paddy rise will be bought for K70 for 40kg.