Traditional leaders have been asked to strictly monitor people that are buying farm produce from their areas.
This follows reports that some of the business people are being sent by big companies, yet offering very low prices.
Samson Jere of Chief Mishoro and Moses Banda of Chiparamba area, say that some of the briefcase buyers that are buying crops are being sent by big companies.
They said that by using briefcase buyers, the companies are able to buy crops at very low prices.
He says the companies are taking advantage of government’s delay to announce the prices to send their people, who are pretending to be buying the crops as individuals, especially soya beans, sunflower and groundnuts.
The duo said chiefs and headmen must be alert and ensure that no company sends private buyers to rural areas to buy crops at low prices.
Three weeks ago, the Zambia National Farmers Union, ZNFU also revealed a trend where big companies are sending individual buyers to buy crops on their behalf.
ZNFU contended that the trend is more rampant in Eastern Province, where some people are pretending to be private buyers, when in fact, have been sent by big companies.