ADMARC to begin purchasing produce from Farmers Soon

Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation, ADMARC says will soon start purchasing farm produce from farmers across the country.

Speaking during its meeting with Agriculture and Food Security and Natural Resources and Climate Change Parliamentary Cluster Committee, meeting with officials from ADMARC, ADMARC Chief Executive Officer Daniel Makata, says they need up to 300 billion kwacha to purchase 250 metric tons of Maize but has been allocated 53 billion kwacha in the national budget.

Makata says they will buy commodities from local farmers as way of encouraging them adding that 65,000 metric tons of the produce will be sold in foreign markets which the grain trader has already identified its markets.

He assured the committee that if funded fully they will accumulate a profit of 1.8 billion Kwacha unlike in the past when the grain trader was always making losses and cumulative debts

Meanwhile, he said that government has promised to settle their loan of over 28 billion kwacha by June and September.

In his remarks, co-chairperson of agriculture and climate change cluster committee, Welani Chilenga said the grain trader should be fully funded to properly carry out its activities.