You’ll never hear stories of “moisture content” in my government, Mundubile assures farmers
AFTER the Food Reserve Agency—FRA did not announce this season’s crop floor prices yesterday as many had expected, NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has reposted a campaign video in which he pledged to reform the country’s crop purchasing system.
Speaking during a campaign rally in Petauke last month, Mundubile said his government would procure grain dryers to ensure farmers’ produce is bought in the first week of June, without unnecessary delays linked to moisture content requirements.
Yesterday, the FRA said most maize grains have high moisture content ranging between 18 to 13 percent, prompting the Agency to delay the announcement of the crop floor price and subsequent purchases of maize.
In the video shared by Mundubile, the Tonse Alliance leader said the agricultural sector had advanced in technology thereby requiring a shift to new ways of handling the sector.
“Government will invest in dryers to dry the maize and be able to pay farmers promptly.
“Unlike the way it is now. You have worked hard to produce your crops, but there is delay in selling your commodity. The job of a government, ladies and gentlemen, is to help its citizens,” Mundubile told Petauke electorate.
He said the introduction of drying equipment would allow farmers to sell their crops more efficiently, reducing the waiting period often experienced before maize and other crops meet the moisture levels required for purchase.
“You’ll never hear stories of moisture content in my government because we will buy dryers to make sure farmers are paid on time,” Mundubile said in the video.
The opposition presidential candidate said improving post-harvest handling and speeding up payments to farmers would be among his administration’s priorities if elected into office.
The Food Reserve Agency has told the Nation that it will only start buying the maize grains when the moisture content drops to about 12.5 percent and below.
©TV Yatu | David Kashiki | July 14, 2026.