Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba, a former High Commissioner to South Africa and Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, has analyzed the announcement by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) regarding the opening of the 2023/24 Crop Marketing Season and the purchase of designated agricultural commodities. In his analysis, he expressed concern over the timing of the marketing season and the amount of crops that the FRA intends to purchase.
Mwamba noted that the FRA’s decision to open the marketing season three months earlier than usual could be a response to the current national crisis, where the country has exported almost all its crops, including the national strategic reserves. He also raised concerns about the moisture content of the crops, which can affect their storage and lead to substantial losses.
“In Zambia, farmers use natural elements to dry maize and other crops, hence the delay in opening the Crop Marketing Season. Storing maize that has not reached the right moisture content attracts molds and diseases, which results in extremely high post-harvest losses,” Mwamba said.
Regarding the amount of crops that the FRA intends to purchase, Mwamba expressed disappointment that it falls far below the recommended minimum national strategic reserves. He emphasized the need for the FRA to invest in equipment and technologies to dry crops and enter the market at the earliest possible time to meet their targets and prevent unscrupulous buyers from taking advantage of small-scale farmers.
“To secure the strategic food reserves, we have always urged the Agency to take up the responsibility of drying the crops and invest in such equipment and technologies as required. We need to avoid a situation where unscrupulous buyers take advantage of our small-scale farmers,” Mwamba said.
Mwamba also raised questions about the pricing strategy that the FRA will use and emphasized the importance of price discovery in the market, where millers and grain traders are also present.
“I am aware that the floor price, set by the Minister of Agriculture, has not been announced yet. So what scenario price and factors has FRA used? And what’s the price they are buying the crops? The farmer needs to know,” Mwamba said.
Mwamba’s analysis highlights the need for the FRA to take a proactive approach to ensure that the country’s strategic food reserves are adequately maintained. It also emphasizes the importance of transparency and price discovery in the market to ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their crops.