The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) needs an extra K90 billion for the purchase of 100,000-plus metric tonnes (mt) of maize the country needs this year, The Daily Times has learned.
NFRA says the K60 billion which the government has allocated to the institution in the proposed 2025-26 national budget is enough to buy about 47, 500mt of maize.
It says 47,500mt cannot satisfy the country’s needs.
NFRA Chief Executive Officer George Macheka said the institution needed about K150 billion for the purchase of grain to fully stock its silos across the country.
Macheka said this when officials from NRFA and the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) witnessed the arrival of 9,400mt of maize, out of 20,000mt which the government has bought from the reserve agency of Tanzania.
“NFRA’s strategic grain reserves were set in such a way that at every outlet, there must be an inlet. As such, it is based on replenishment basis. If we get 10 kilogrammes out, there must be another 10 kilogrammes in. So, this year, by the time we will start buying maize, we will have distributed about 105,000 metric tonnes [of maize]. So, we should also expect to replenish about 105,00 metric tonnes and we will require about K150 billion [for that purpose],” Macheka said.
He said part of the maize would be given to Dodma for free distribution to people affected by hunger while the remaining quantity would be delivered to the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation for sale.
Dodma Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response Moses Chimphepo said the maize that arrived Tuesday would be taken straight to districts that have been hit by hunger across the country.
“We have reached out to almost all the districts, [for] some [during the] third round while [for] others, [we are reaching out to them during the] second round. This maize, which has been procured by the government, will be distributed alongside the maize which the World Bank supported the country with. This month of March, people will notice that the distribution exercise will be more massive [than previously],” Chimphepo said.
According to NFRA, 9,400mt of maize will be in the country within two weeks while the remaining 10,600mt will be in the country “soon”.
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