Chief Lundu of the Senga people of Chama district in Muchinga Province, has commended the Food Reserve Agency (FRA ) for prompt payments of money to small scale farmers selling their maize and other grains.
And the Chinsali Chamber of Commerce in Muchinga Province, has welcomed the suspension of issuance of export permits for stock feeds, it’s ingredients and day old-chicks with immediate effect.
Chief Lundu says small scale farmers in his chiefdom are happy with the prompt payments by the agency after one delivers the commodity.
ā The prompt payments of money to the small scale farmers selling their maize and other grains to the agency is encouraging farmers to sale their produce to the agency, ā he said..
ZANIS reports that the Traditional ruler in an interview at his palace said that small scale farmers are more than willing to sale their produce to FRA because of the prompt payments coupled with the good price that the agency is offering.
The traditional leader has since appealed to the small scale farmers in his chiefdom to quickly pay deposits for the supply of farming inputs under the Fertilizer Support Input Programme (FISP) once paid their money by FRA for the maize supplied to the agency.
“We are happy with the prompt payments of money by FRA to the small scale farmers who have sold their maize and other grains to the agency as this is making farmers to plan well their farming activities, “said Chief Lundu.
The prompt payments of money by FRA coupled with early delivery of fertilizers, it is expected that the region will record another bumper harvest in the 2021/2022 farming season.
Meanwhile, the Chinsali Chamber of commerce has welcomed the suspension of issuance of export permits for stock-feed, it’s ingredients and day old-chicks with immediate effect.
Chinsali Chamber of Commerce president, Aggrey Musamba, has told ZANIS in an interview in Chinsali today that the suspension is a welcome move saying it will greatly benefit the poultry industry and livestock farmers.
The export of day old-chicks had resulted in the scarcity and an increased sale price for the day old chicks in the district with one day old chicks in Chinsali costing K15 compared to K7 only five months ago.
Mr. Musamba said that the intervention by the Government to suspend the issuance of export permits for stock -feed, it’s ingredients and day old-chicks is timely and a positive move.
He further said control of export of soya beans is also a welcome move because soya cake is a very important ingredient in making stock feeds and if all the soya beans is exported outside the country, there will be a shortage of soya cake which is by-product in the production of cooking oil.
“We as a chamber of commerce in Chinsali welcome the suspension of issuance of export permits for stock feeds, it’s ingredients and day -chicks with both hands as this is good for the country, ā he said.
Last week Government suspended the issuance of export permits for stock-feed, its ingredients and day old-chicks with immediate effect.
Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Permanent Secretary Benson Mwenya however says firms with valid export permits will not be affected by the suspension.
Dr. Mwenya has also revealed that government has directed producers of stock-feed and day-old chicks not to increase prices of their products until concerns of livestock farmers are resolved.
