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The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has announced that it will on Wednesday, September, 30, 2026 close the 2026 crop marketing exercise after reportedly purchasing an over two million metric tonnes of maize.
The Agency opened the crop marketing exercise on July, 29, 2026 with a total of 1,749 satellite depots that commenced operations immediately.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday held at Mulungushi Internation Conference Centre, FRA Board Chairperson, Suresh Desai, said the Agency introduced two critical structural reforms to enhance procurement and payment processes which had significant positive impact on operations.
“The Food Reserve Agency has since the opening of satellite depots on 29th July, 2026 purchased more than two million metric tonnes (2,031,518.99 MTs) of Grade A non GMO white maize. This is a historic record purchase in less than two months of opening our satellite depots,” Desai said.
Additionally, 400,000 metric tonnes was reportedly deposited at satellite depots while 300,000 metric tonnes are held by farmers desiring to deliver to the Agency.
“According to the data collected by our officers at community level, an estimated four hundred thousand metric tonnes (400,000 MTs) of maize is deposited at satellite depots, while three hundred thousand metric tonnes (300,000 MTs) is estimated to be held by farmers desiring to deliver and sale to the Agency,” he said.
Desai said with those stocks, the total purchase was projected to reach 2.7 million metric tonnes as the season winds up.
“It is estimated that the Agency will purchase a total of two point seven million metric tonnes (2,731,518.99MTs) of white non GMO maize as it winds up and closes the 2026 crop marketing season,” he said.
He said after extensive consultations with stakeholders, the Board had decided to close the exercise in an orderly manner with specific measures.
Desai said the measures include doing a stock take and enlisting all farmers details and estimated quantities, estimating quantities held at household level, and by close of day on September, 30, 2026, satellite depots will stop listing any new farmers.
He said after closure of the register, the Agency would continue sieving, weighing, bagging and receipting of all the maize of the listed farmers.
“These measures are being undertaken to allow the Agency to concentrate on safeguarding and securing the huge stocks purchased at great cost and effort,” Desai said.
He said this would involve transportation of purchased stock from the buying locations to safe storage locations in the various districts, and commended management and staff for effective implementation of reforms that enabled processing of nearly 50,000 metric tonnes per day and payments within three days.
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