By Scoop Reporter
THE ruling Patriotic Front (PF) in Southern Province has commended President Edgar Lungu for directing the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to procure 1 million tonnes during this crop marketing season.
Provincial Information and Publicity Secretary Trymore Mwenda says this directive by President Lungu is a welcome move and good news for the hard working farmers.
Mr. Mwenda says this is because Government will this marketing season procure twice as much grain as compared to the 500,000 metric tons that was bought last year.
“We therefore, wish to appeal to farmers in Southern Province who have produced surplus maize not to sell to briefcase buyers at low prices but instead wait for FRA to commence the buying of the produce if they are to reap a profit on their investment.
“We have no doubt FRA will offer a competitive and attractive maize price this marketing season just as the case was last year which many farmers appreciated and motivated them to increase maize field tillage in the 2019/2020 farming season in anticipation of a stable maize floor price,” Mr. Mwenda said.
He says the PF Government and President Lungu have been “walking the talk” in the drive to ensure agriculture takes centre stage in the economic transformation through sound policies dealing with inputs and marketing of the produce.
