The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has completed preparations for the 2026 crop marketing season and is ready to begin purchasing maize and paddy rice once government announces the official buying prices.
Speaking during a media briefing, FRA Board Chairperson Suresh Desai said the Agency has put in place all the necessary measures to ensure a smooth and efficient buying process, including identifying buying depots, recruiting staff and rolling out a digital payment system.
“Government, together with stakeholders in the agricultural sector has implemented policy reforms that have contributed to increased agricultural production and a reduction in the prices of essential food commodities,” Mr Desai said.
He stressed that Zambia had made a strong recovery from the effects of the previous drought, which negatively affected agricultural production, adding that the country was expecting a record maize harvest this season.
“This massive output, the highest ever in the country’s history, will ensure national food security and create a significant surplus for exports, bringing much-needed foreign exchange into the country,” he said.
Mr. Desai said Zambia harvested about 3.6 million metric tonnes of maize during the 2024/2025 agricultural season and was projecting a record 5.1 million metric tonnes in the 2025/2026 season.
He disclosed that the FRA had identified 1,749 buying depots that would be operational during the marketing season.
He further added that the Agency had recruited and trained 3,498 buying depot clerks and an equal number of security guards who would be deployed before the depots opened.
Mr. Desai further said the Agency had already distributed seven million empty grain bags to districts for maize and paddy rice purchases, while another 23 million bags had been received and stored in central warehouses.
He said the FRA Board had directed management to fully implement a digital payment system for this year’s crop purchases.
“Cash payments across the country will not be made this year,” he said.
“The digital payment system has been developed to ensure farmers receive their payments more efficiently and to eliminate the long queues that characterized previous payment arrangements,” Mr Desai said.
He urged farmers to register their bank account or mobile money details, including Airtel Money, MTN MoMo and Zamtel Kwacha, with their respective district FRA offices to facilitate timely payments.”
He added that the Agency was consulting key stakeholders before announcing the official buying prices for maize and paddy rice for the 2026 crop marketing season.