By NORMA SIAME –
THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has assured more than 900 farmers whose maize is marooned in Luwingu District’s Malekani area after a bridge collapsed, that it will step in to mop up the grain.
The FRA has not opened a satellite depot in the area because of the absence of a bridge and the bad state of the road network.
The Road Development Agency (RDA) has deployed a crew of experts to carry out emergency works on the bridge.
FRA executive director Chola Kafwabulula, who visited the site with Luwingu District Commissioner Mulenga Munsungwe, expressed worry over whether the 30-tonne trucks the agency used to ferry maize would be able to navigate the bridge.
He was, however, assured by the crew from RDA that the bridge would be operational in the next two weeks.
Mr Kafwabulula who met the farmers at Malekani Camp, said the agency would begin mobilising logistics and deploy staff on Thursday to buy the maize.
Framers in most areas visited by the FRA in Northern Province have expressed worry at the 500,000-tonne camp for this marketing season.
One farmer, John Chishiba who lives in a high producing area said chances were high that there would be left overs of maize at various depots.
Meanwhile, payment to farmers has commenced across the province with Cavmont Bank yesterday paying out funds to those that delivered their maize first.
Some of the concerns that came up during inspections of the depots were that some clerks were allegedly asking for gratification from farmers in exchange for being served quickly.
At one of the depots in Kasama, farmers accused the clerks of receiving inducements in form of cash and chickens.
Mr Kafwabulula, however, warned that erring clerks would be fired as the only payments they should receive were their salaries.