The African Union (AU) says it is uncomfortable with over regulation of farmers in Africa and how they are compelled to conduct business when selling their produce.
AU Vice President Erastus Mwencha has bemoaned that farming was over-controlled by most African governments which dictated conditions on under which farmers trade, saying this denied them opportunities to get the real value for the produce.
“When there is surplus of maize, farmers are allowed to export and when there is little, they are not allowed, as the AU we are not comfortable with over-controlling of farmers because they are the ones who suffer when they get a raw deal,” he said.
He called on governments that over regulated farmers to allow them to engage in viable business ventures without any interference which would negatively affect profit margins for farmers.
Mr. Mwencha said this in an interview with ZANIS in Livingstone during a reception organized by the AU Peace and Security Council Retreat at Zambezi Sun hotel.
Meanwhile, the AU Vice President attributed the rising global food prices to a decline in production, high cost of agricultural inputs and reduced investment in agriculture.
He however said challenges arising due to high food prices could be addressed through comprehensive implementation of policies in land and water management, nutrition, technology and provision of fertilizer subsidies to boost production.
“We have a comprehensive agricultural development program referred to as the four pillars formulated to address and implement policies in land and water management, nutrition, technology and provision of fertilizer subsidies to boost production,” he said.
He said such measures would play a significant role in ensuring food security in countries most affected by low production and limited investment in agriculture.
And Mr. Mwencha said infrastructure development was key to sustainable economic development for the African continent because all sectors that made meaningful contributions to positive development depended on availability of good infrastructure.
When have our farmers ever been given a ripe deal. what nonsense
Zambia is a #1 culprit! ;;)
Thats why our farmers in the eastern province just sell their maize across the border into Malawi. While others are talking, yapping and dying of hunger, our clever farmers are selling their maize at Thrice the ammount FRA is trying to reap them off of.
Yaba
The rural farmer must be compensated for his effort by allowing him to sell his product at profit and encouraged to produce more.
The rural areas will only be attractive if farming becomes a profitable venture for dwellers. No need to listen to PF about reducing our products prices. We are tired of feeding the town people without a fair retain of profit.
Produce should also not be let to rot and measures should be put in place to store produce. It is time we introduced processing plants for the same produce at the farms themselves to mitigate transport costs and wastage among other things.
But what time do pipo like Baby C Anonymous,Ba Moze etc work.Ithink they hae awrong work attitude or malofwa?
The rural areas should have the necessary infrastructure. If loans are to be got, let them be spent on such infrastructure projects as dams, irrigation equipment,tarred roads and the like. This will bring down production costs and spur a rapid growth of Agricultural production. This is so simple to see but the will and policy framework must be thoroughly worked out.
LCC
You have just reminded me, I have to unhook the plough. See you later.
So the goverments want the poor farmers to fit in their shoes irrespective of the harvest???
[-x,yashani noble,headlines are coming to fast
#7, a loafer can not be on a computer. You are a misguided element. If its access to computer you want, all you have to do is ask us. I dont expect to receive a response from you as you have probably run out of cash for internet services. Get in touch. i may just hook you up.
#7
Am on holiday, so dont worry about me! I can even blog 24/7 non-stop.
Only maize is political, so why bother?? Farmers need to diversify as well and grow more profitable, less political crops….politics and mealie-meal pa Zed will always be twined….
:p,baby C
Who doesnt know that? The IMF is telling African govts not to subsidise the agriculture sector yet they leave out Europe & America :o:o:o:o:o
Yes please, some of us are free-lancers and we can blog anytime we want. Back to the topic, our farmers need to organize themselves properly and form an African Farmers’ Confederation if they are to overcome the cunningly oppressive tactics of the West.
8-x,Maestro
(:|,Ba Moze
Chungu out of custody
Rashid #I9, you need help. You are sick in the head
Those who doesnt know Maestro, that guy in the maize field is Maestro :-\”
Then uja wesaoneka maningi ndeye Sarah Jones 😮
Hi Chale
Rashid jones
i think you love me!!! takwaba! wanilimbikila maningi
im already in love with Jesus how can i love you again, i think i like you 😕
It’s logically not possible for a government to export when there is low production… that would mean that means during the farming season it would start importing at a higher cost.
It’s sad the farmers always get a raw deal… but that’s how things are going to if you have greedy leaders who would rather have farmers depending on the government than them being self-reliant. chiwamila agalu!!!
If they can work on the four pillars.. maybe there is hope!!! The thing is in Africa all we do is talk good policies not the implementation.
Hi Sony Ericsson, how are you my friend?
this mr mwencha hasn’t he retired yet? ah iwme ba LT come on! Where is the real news? :-w
I’m good Chale, a bit cold and needing some Mosi in the sun. How’s your plan?
Rashid Jones
you are sick in that head of yours. Are you missing Jordan??? You are all nuts!
Same here, grey skies and it’s freezing outside, but I’m well equipped. IIm looking forward to the weekend then I can take a beer…it’s against my self-set principles to booze during the week.
Back to the topic, I must say that I still have faith in the African farmers. I think when the west has run out of organic food, they will run to Africa, where all the food has remained natural.
Like here in Germany, people have already began neglecting some of their own home grown foods because most of them are chemically contaminated and are now going for the exotic one like mangoes, bananas and avocadoes. The demand is growing but the supply is limited. That’s the sort of situation the African farmers should be capitalising on.
I’m off to the gym, I will join y’all a little later. Be good and don’t fight while Uncle Chale is away…mwaumfwa?
hi baby how are you today i love your comments :x:x
i mean baby c am aserious farmer moye with your ideas my farm can do better musa baby c konditaba. :x:x**==:-@
#30 What kind of English is that? Needing? You illiterates should keep away from this blog, you are embarassing every Zambian here! And you don’t say “how” is your plan, you say “what” is your plan iwe! Just use your mother tongue here as it’s acceptable! No offence, just free advice ok!
I don’t think anyone would buy if you where selling!!!:d
37 # WHO DO U THINK U ARE ?,,I THINK U ARE ARAT FOR RB :((:((
RAshid Jones is here! I have a strong feeling to send him straight to “G-Bay”! That’s where him belongs!
Nice
am great and you? thanx for the compliment
#37, only a dandahead would ask such a question! So, what kinda answer are you expecting? Ok, I think I’m M’ponda Matiki so what?
Sorry , I meant #39 who is a “dandahead”.
“Bunkums” like Nice should be controlled so that they don’t multiply and increase the state of dullness in any geographical region!
#42 “dandahead” ni chani?
Nice, you are to humans what weeds are to agricultural crops!
:d
Rashid is actually a pest! Pubic louse or rat is his best description. Don’t worry ladies and gents, I belong to the Manyozo Freedom Party (MFP) where we promte freedom of speech as a fundematal human right!
Once… is fine twice is annoying… #46
Chaps still gun each other down,up to now. may be thats y there is a reduction in the guys blog’ng **==.
we can stick to the topics or just read wat looks to hav sense and leav out rubish. those other youngster who also just wait to write am #1 or #2 watever,so wat, is this a competition we ar in? for u guys out of zeb breif us on how the situation wer u ar,is being handled like #33 =d> we may come up with a solution to help our Zambia and africa
Ba Minister, lets not let peeps spoil the banter!
<:-p
😮
Hey #52 count from 1 up to 100. That should keep him busy!!!:d
#49 Minister, you are a bit sensible! And # 50 what do you mean by “coming up with a solution to help our Zambia and Africa”? and who is “we”. Please be specific! Don’t aim in the air when hunting! I don’t know if you have ever hunted before but you can learn from me if you are interested. Talking about adventure here! Real African safari adventures, right! Sorry, I’m a bit out of topic but it will be boring to be talking about the same thing through and through! Now I’m out! Sure there are more important things to do than read Nice’s poor English here!
Hi pipo i have just come from my farm ,Next Ni Bumper Harvest :d/
So all the pretty ladies on the blog get my e-mail add so that i can share with you. ifwe tatwakwata akaso.
:d/:d/
:((
:-\”
In Zed, what we need at this point in time is highly qualified people to work on technical jobs. What GRZ can do is to get some PhD chaps, a lot of Zambians have this now. Put them in these areas in groups and demand good results from them. They will get us out of this quagmire. Many countries that are serious about development are doing this. What scares qualified people from Zambia is the kulibonesha attitude. Other countries are making use of the same skill from out highly qualified people. In fact these people are not even expensive as they can be happy to contribute for their country. Why note trace them(Call them back!)
>-)>:)
Not those old people who have been corrupt in spite having good qualifications. We just need these newly backed guys. where you have just a few of these PhD guys in few areas, they will never perform as they are always intimidated and corrupted, but if youcan attract many of these guys who are working in other countries, they will change that country. Not people who just go for school and come back without experience. Those are the ones who do not know how to do things becasue they still carry the Zambian culture??.
Also LT, it would be good to have a blog with passwords for highly qualified Zambians. Minimum, MSc, where they can discuss important stuff. Here people are just playing.
Am not happy with the LT upgrade. It has just turned into a circus for some.
For that to happen, the head of government needs this sort of mind set, of taking out the old and bring in the new. I think a change at the top could change a lot of minds all the way down. It’s easy for people to adopt poor work attitudes if the people are leading them do have the will to change things and improve them. It’s like we love to do thing the same old way. I agree with you CIAO the government does need new faces, who want to see change.
The best I can hope for is, they find a new circus.
Zambia forward, in tune with the Nation!
Thank you LT for providing only sensible animations:
:)>- UNIP, MMD l-), UPND =; others :-@
and Maestro Hhehhehhehhe :(|) the Guinness from the monkey clan
I am really disappointed with Mr Mwencha. Of all people surely how can he ever think so low like common politicians who refer to the growing of maize as agriculture? And which country in this century will you point to as progressing economically through agriculture? Mr Mwencha should check statistics for GDP or economic development in countries whose economy is agricultural driven. They are the most poor. Let us wake up and stop kidding ourselves that we will develop through maize growing. Ine! Awe! Iyai!Totooo!
Maestro Hhehhehhehhe. I thought it is not only the politicians who do not keep their word. Is it already three weeks that you have come back on LT? What I remember you writing on this our LT is that you would be very busy attending to astrophysics and other BIG fields of study. The only consolation is that I would have missed your contributions. I guess you didn’t mean what you said so let me not even liken you to politicians. Welcome back after that short commercial break. 😮
#=; The Way Forward for Zambia, come 2011! I am leaving for germany on thursday very early in the morning. Tomorrow, I am giving a presentation on Zambia. Last friday I was busy handing in a Report at 12:00 hrs thursday. Friday, some classmates and I presented the work in the said report from about 14 hrs. Let me clarify things: I mentioned that I will be away for about three weeks from active blogging, but full time after the 18th of December. I hope this helps otherwise. Take care and all the best!
#70.Kamunyama . Sorry I should have given more details.
I am leaving for germany on thursday very early in the morning. Tomorrow, I am giving a presentation on Zambia. Last friday I was busy handing in a Report at 12:00 hrs thursday. Friday, some classmates and I presented the work in the said report from about 14 hrs. Let me clarify things: I mentioned that I will be away for about three weeks from active blogging, but full time after the 18th of December. I hope this helps otherwise.
Take care and all the best!
68. AND NOT FORGETTING, njabuti eyo musa kaka? 😕
Amalofwa namufula pa net, instead of growing food you are surfing all the time. the people you admire (developed world) have already passed your stage and yet you want to be on the net 24/7. Even proud of it. Please dont even comment about poverty in africa, because its u who are the greatest contributors.
:d/#46 u are full of sh…t,you dont know why you blog coz your comments are senseless they hold nothing but shiiit so is your head is full of a mixture of weerd and cowdung…banyokokolu.:((
Thtats the problem they want to regulate the maize prices because they dont want the forces of supply and demand to dictate. There is too much arable land in Zambia but those interested in farming are not being given an incentive. If more and more zambian farmers were given incentives as is the case in Botswana we wouldnt even be talking of importing maize, or regulating the maize price. lets live for today and tomorow we need better policies here please.
What we need is a comprehensive agricultural policy that goes beyond the ministerial level and translates into actual, budgeted, implemented policies.
1) Increase food storage capacity so we have 2 years worth of food
2) Create ‘Victory Gardens’ by converting unused public space in cities into vegetable gardens
3) Give as much fertilizer as possible to farmers as a short term solution
4) Create works projects to increase rural infrastructure to unlock the potential of the rural areas and farms, and improve the country’s water managemenet by building ponds and digging swales, so farms have water throughout the year – only 3% of Zambian farmland is under permament irrigation right now.
5) Create a class of medium size commercial organic farmers, with access to 100 ha of land, so they can have a very good net income (at least $10,000 per year) and start other rural businesses like dairy, agroforestry, packaging, etc.
If they had 50ha under maize, at 2 tonnes per ha and $200 per tonne, they would generate $20,000 per harvest. If half of that was cost, that would leave them with $10,000 income – up from the under $365 per year that 70% of the population have.
A teak log after 20 years of growth sells for $20,000 a piece ($1000 per year per tree in added value). They can serve as wind breaks, and put a child born today through university.
And legalize hemp – the perfect fiber crop for dry regions and poor soil. Hemp can be made into 1000s of products, including excellent quality clothes, rope, seeds can be made into flour and are higly nutricious, it’s roots sequester carbon in the soil and the plants create oxygen. It can generate entire manufacturing industries, but even just as fiber, it can generate $400 per hectare, on a par or more than maize.
Among it’s other uses, of course. :)>-