Nyimba Member of Parliament, Menyani Zulu, has called on government, through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), to increase its maize purchase target from 500,000 metric tonnes to 1 million metric tonnes.
Mr. Zulu said the increase is crucial as it aligns with governments recent directive that the over 1million registered farmers under the Farmer Input Support Program FISP must sell at least 10 x 50Kilogram bags of maize to FRA this marketing season.
Speaking when he featured on Radio Christian Voice’s Chatback programme in Lusaka today, Mr. Zulu noted that the higher tonnage would enable FRA secure sufficient stocks for both domestic consumption and export, without threatening national food security.
“This increase will also enable FRA to have enough maize for export without jeopardizing food reserves,” said Mr. Zulu.
He added that such a move would ease the current anxiety among farmers who fear being excluded from the 2025–2026 Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) if they fail to deliver their produce to the agency.
By Angel Kasabo
