Luapula Chamber of Commerce Immediate Past President […]

Luapula Chamber of Commerce Immediate Past President Emmanuel Munsanje has indicated that Zambia cannot rely solely on the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to absorb maize produced by farmers if the country is to achieve its target of producing 10 million metric tonnes by 2031.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Munsanje said Government needed to strengthen the FRA model while creating more opportunities for private buyers to purchase maize from small-scale farmers within and outside the country.

He said depending heavily on FRA limited farmers’ marketing options because the agency could only purchase quantities determined by its budget and purchasing capacity, leaving some farmers uncertain about where to sell their produce.

“FRA will budget what makes it possible to buy, whether 5,000 or 500,000 metric tonnes, but we need to think beyond FRA and create mechanisms that link small-scale farmers to private buyers so that we are not always relying on one institution,” he said.

Munsanje said expanding access to private markets would help ensure that farmers had alternative buyers for their maize instead of waiting for Government to purchase their entire harvest.

He said delays in paying farmers who deliver maize to FRA could also undermine agricultural production because many small-scale farmers depend on the proceeds to purchase inputs for the next planting season.

“When farmers are not paid on time, they may fail to buy their inputs when they need them, because the money from selling maize is supposed to be ploughed back into farming, and delays leave them vulnerable,” he said.

Munsanje said the situation required stronger implementation of Government directives, arguing that policies announced at the highest level would only benefit farmers if the officials responsible for carrying them out acted promptly.

“The President may make a policy pronouncement, but he is not the person implementing it on the ground, so those responsible must take the directive seriously and ensure farmers are paid without unnecessary delays,” he said.

He added that officials who deliberately failed to implement presidential directives on farmer payments should be held accountable, saying implementation failures could damage public confidence in Government commitments.

Munsanje said achieving the Grow Zambia agenda and the 10 million metric tonne maize target would require a positive change in mindset among all institutions and individuals responsible for supporting agricultural production and marketing.

“If everyone has a role to play, each person must play that role, because we cannot expect to achieve the 10 million metric tonne target while farmers struggle to access markets and receive the money they need to prepare for the next farming season,” he said.

He said a combination of Government-supported purchasing through FRA and stronger private sector participation would give farmers more reliable marketing options and help build a maize sector capable of supporting higher production.

By Philip Sinkala