Government has been called upon to quickly announce the floor price of maize in this year’s marketing season to protect farmers from being swindled by brief case maize traders.
And Government has also been urged to ensure that it quickly moves into rural areas and buy maize from small scale farmers in order to beef up the national reserves in view of the global food crisis.
Magoye Member of Parliament, Bennie Mweemba, told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that any delay in announcing the market floor price would impact negatively on the national food reserves because some millers and other traders were already buying maize.
He complained that the unscrupulous maize traders who have invaded Magoye Constituency were allegedly cheating farmers that government had announced a floor price of K 25,000 for a 50 kilogramme bag.
He said there is need for the government to quickly announce the price of maize to enable farmers sell their produce at a reasonable profit.
Mr Mweemba also advised government to ensure that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is allocated enough funds to buy the produce from farmers before the bogus traders completely exhaust the commodity in rural areas.
He said government should not forget that currently, most nations are faced with a serious food crisis and that any delay to commence the marketing of the commodity would allow the private sector to cause artificial food shortages.
Meanwhile, Mr Mweemba has advised the Government to abolish the FRA after this year’s maize marketing programme and re-introduce the National Marketing Board (NAMBOARD).
He alleged that the FRA has failed to satisfy the needs of the Zambian farmers as evidenced by the delay in paying for the maize bought from farmers in the previous marketing seasons.
ZANIS/ENDS/HC/EB
Please do it quick so that unscruplous briefcase businessmen dont take advantage of our hadrworking farners.
Yes, farmers need to know the maize price asap in order to reevaluate their sales.
The Maize issue again. It is annoying to see how serious this issue is for Government. You can not feed a nation with this mentality.
please ba Gov’t tell the farmers what the price of maize will be before they lose out by selling their maize cheap,most of them by now are so broke after spending all the money on seeds, fertirezer etc.
CORRUPT ATTONEY GENERAL, WHY DROP CHARGES AGAINST FRA THIEF MWANAUMO. LOOK THROUGH THE AMOUNTS AND FIGURES, FIFTY TENTS AT K1.4b FROM INDIAN SUPPLIER AND MMD FINANCIER and 200 TENTS FOR K1.3B from Gourock! CANT YOU SEE
Can you quickly lock up the Attorney General for dropping charges against the FRA Thief Mwanaumo.
Surely, Bwana Attorney General compare the figures in the tarpulins case. Mwanaumo pays Nyimba Filling Station K1.4 Billion for 50 tents and same type of tents but 200 in pieces at K1.3Billion from Gourock. Gourock in fact should be the complainants. Nyimba whatever deal in fuel NOT tents for covering Maize. Arrest the thieves, and dont destroy the ACC cause. madam ACC, DONT GIVE UP on these thieves.