By SYLVIA MWEETWA –

THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has purchased more than 100,000 bags of maize from Kabwe farmers, surpassing the 50,000 set target, District Commissioner Patrick Chishala has disclosed.

Kabwe has since received 6,000 by 50 kilogrammes of D compound fertiliser from the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) for the 2014/2015 farming season.

Speaking in an interview at the weekend, Mr Chishala said by last week, the agency had purchased 100,454 by 50 kilogramme bags of maize since the start of the maize marketing season.

Mr Chishala explained that initially the district had targeted to purchase 50,000 bags of maize but due to the overwhelming response it had received from farmers, it had decided to continue buying the maize.

He said the good response received from farmers was a clear indication that the much talked about bumper harvest was real despite some critics who felt otherwise.

“I am happy that Kabwe has also contributed to the food basket of the country considering that currently we have purchased over 100,000 bags of maize and we wil continue to buy the maize,” he said.

The DC disclosed that more than 62,000 bags of maize had been dispatched to Natuseko main holding depot and that it would ensure that no crops went waste.

He said K1,501, 080 has been paid to farmers and that the agency was remaining with a balance of K5,530,700 but advised farmers who had supplied maize to check with the banks.

Mr Chishala said a check at the two banks last week revealed that the money was available but most farmers had not gone to the bank to claim it.

He said apart from receiving the fertiliser, the district would also receive groundnut packs and would benefit 1, 400 small scale farmers