Zambia FRA reform gains momentum as Parliamentarians call for a shift from grain trading to reserve management to enhance national food security.
Zambia FRA reform has taken center stage following a call by the Parliamentary Caucus on Post-Legislative Scrutiny urging the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to prioritize its core mandate.
Members of Parliament want the agency to move away from commercial trading and focus more on the management of national food reserves.
This recommendation supports the national strategy that seeks better food security and utilization of public institutions.
According to the lawmakers the original purpose of FRA was to create strategic grain reserves for protecting the country from food shortages and price shocks.
The organization has gradually expanded its marketing role through commercial trading operations even though these activities exceed its original legal authorization.
The caucus believes this new direction has created operational problems and prevents the FRA from reaching its core task to protect Zambia’s food security.
The reform proposal for Zambia FRA appeared before a group that analyzed existing systems to determine their efficiency.
According to the legislators the agency’s current operational scope diverges from its principal mandate under the Food Reserve Act to sustain an effective grain reserve.
FRA institutional integrity and improved service for farmers and consumers would be attained through operational focus shifts according to the parliamentary caucus.
The agency will maintain better pricing stability and minimize market disturbances when it focuses exclusively on national reserve procurement and storage.
Civil society groups and agricultural unions provide lukewarm endorsement after the push for change occurred.
The officials state that FRA needs specific boundaries to achieve better transparency and avoid repetition with private sector grain activities.
The Zambia FRA reform proposals have prompted the country to begin a national dialogue regarding key food security structures even though the FRA has not provided a formal statement.
