The Food Reserve Agency – FRA is in the next two weeks expected to outline its plans for the 2020 crop marketing season and will within the plans avail to the public its buying price for maize and other designated commodities immediately after the Ministry of Agriculture announces the crop forecast survey results.
Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo has disclosed that despite the COVID – 19 outbreaks, the ministry has managed to complete the crop forecast survey, field data collection in all provinces and soon embark on the process to analyze the data to come up with the final crop forecast figure.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on May 12, 2020, the minister said the crop forecast survey will be announced by the end of May 2020 in readiness for the commencement of the maize marketing season in June 2020.
He said the process at which FRA takes to arrive at the buying price for maize and other commodities has begun and stakeholders are currently being consulted and that the process aims at taking into consideration as many views and recommendations as possible.
The minister has since advised small scale farmers to be patient and resist to sell their crop before FRA announces its maize purchase price to avoid selling at a price that do not offer a fair return on investment and labor.
Further, Katambo has warned those engaged in smuggling of maize and mealie meal to neighboring countries to immediately stop this illegal act stating that existing law on smuggling maize and mealie meal is very clear for those that persist and continue to engage on this illegality.
“I also wish to advise all provincial agriculture coordinators and all agricultural extension officers to be vigilant in advising farmers not to sell to unscrupulous traders and farmers but wait patiently for FRA to announce the price within the next weeks or so,” He added.
