The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has announced that it will buy a 50-kilogram bag of Maize at 110 Kwacha during the 2019 crop marketing season.
FRA Board Chairperson Joe Simachela says crop purchases will commence on 31st October 2019 and 300,000 metric tons of white Maize is targeted for purchasing.
Mr. Simachela says other commodities planned for purchasing are 4,000 Metric tons of Soya Bean at a cost of 150 Kwacha per 50 kg bag and 1,000 metric tons of Paddy Rice at a cost of 70 Kwacha per 40 kg bag.
He says forecast for Maize production is set to decrease by 16 percent from two million three hundred and ninety four thousand nine hundred and seven metric tons(2,394,907MT) last season to two million four thousand three hundred and eighty nine (2,004,389MT).
The FRA Board Chairperson says the decrease is partly attributed to the global climate changes which also have a future effect on food production, crop yields and food prices.