Maize procurement by the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA) is progressing well in the Zambezi Region, with about 600 tonnes already purchased since the process began last week.
Speaking to NBC, the Control Officer at the AMTA Zambezi Silo, Roy Mushwena, says the figure is expected to surpass 700 tonnes as more farmers bring their produce to the buying point.
AMTA is currently procuring up to 2,000 bags of maize per day in an effort to speed up the process.
"We just wish the farmers to be patient. They should be patient. Their maize, we are going to take it. Slowly but surely, we will call them in to bring in their maize."
A list provided by the region's Agricultural Development Centres is being used to coordinate farmers and allocate dates for them to deliver their maize.
However, some farmers at the silo have raised concerns over the system, saying the lists have not been made public and that many farmers are unaware of the dates allocated to them.
They also expressed concern over delays in the government's maize procurement process, saying prolonged waiting periods could affect the quality of their produce and their livelihoods.
"The challenge we face is that, in as much as we are able to plough and harvest our maize, by the time we are able to find a buyer, which is in September and October, if you are unlucky, the quality of the maize will no longer be the same. It is ruined by many factors before it is even bought; the government asks us to plough in order to survive from that, but the buying and selling process is very delayed. Even at their stations, the Ministry of Agriculture has plenty of tractors, but no drivers to assist farmers during the ploughing and harvesting seasons," stated farmer Josty Samati.
A representative of the Likwama Farmers Union, Zock Matengu, says the union is engaging other potential buyers to increase the amount of maize being purchased each day.
"The farmers are concerned with how much time they have to wait before they are able to sell. That is their concern, which I fully understand, because the longer maize is kept, the more it goes to waste. And this is something we are in talks with the government stakeholders about, to say that the maize should be bought on time in order to avoid it going to waste."
Farmers are now calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to address challenges affecting the timely procurement and marketing of their maize.