The Zambia National Farmers Union has rejected the K110 maize buying price offered by the Food Reserve Agency for a 50kg bag of maize for this year’s crop marketing season.
This follows consultations the Union had with its members which took into consideration the economic downturn and rising cost of production and cost of doing business.
ZNFU Media and Public Relations Manager Calvin Kaleyi has observed that there were major increases in the cost of fertilizer, seed, chemicals, transport, electricity, and labour among others since the last farming season which raised the cost of production.
Mr Kaleyi says these have not been factored in before arriving at the FRA floor price as the K110 is what was offered last season.
He said ZNFU is mindful that of the 3.3 million metric tonnes announced by the government, 1.3 million metric tonnes were grown by farmers that are not under the Farmer Input Support Programme, and with such a price offer, these farmers will be rendered bankrupt.
Mr. Kaleyi has implored the FRA to always state which stakeholders they consulted over the pricing, as they stated that they consulted widely which the ZNFU was not a party to.
He said the ZNFU foresees history repeating itself in that next year there will be a decline in maize production.
Mr. Kaleyi says it is obvious that the FRA and the Ministry of Agriculture do not learn lessons from the past and is appealing to all farmers to remain united as they engage government over this depressing price.
This is mockery, it’s better to keep your maize atase.
$6 per 50kg??? mmm this is indeed mockery.
Did you expect any better from these broke fellows who have brought the country down due to reckless borrowing, and imagine ignorant Sunday Chanda mentioning global dynamics, climate change and Covid as reasons why our economy is on its knees. This ignorant guy should be told that that other countries have had these same challenges but their currencies are not the second worst performing currencies in the world like ours. Stop lying, you are grown up, so what do you teach your kids. You have failed and for the avoidance doubt I am PF for life
Where on Earth did u see a baboon that understands Agriculture?
My understanding is that price announced by their CEO is what they would buy the maize for strategic reserve at. Farmers are free or are at liberty to sell their crop to any one who offers a better price in the market. Institutions like the ZNFU should therefore, begin to look for better markets for their members.
Very good move by the farmers union, let them that complain about mealie meal prices start cultivating also. Why should the lazy people bargain for cheap prices when farmers are working hard day and night whilst cowards hide from corona. Whoever will not be happy about the rejection can go straight to hell. Now that the rejection is made by the farmers union farmers should deal with any government personnel who will be threatening to have you arrested for selling your maize to anyone giving you a good price as if it is their maize. Time to make PF government dance to their Dununa Reverse song.
The FRA price for the farmers accessing the subsidised inputs (fertilize)r is just fine. However for those acquiring inputs on markets the price is low and are likely to experience losses. The way forward is to allow these farmers who bought inputs from the markets to export the maize. Don’t ban exports please. FRA should buy from the subsidised fertilizer farmers.
……and whats your recommended Price ba ZNFU . K250,/ 300/ 350/500 or what and how much should maize meal sell @.
Next year the price will be K300 due to elections.
This government is only good at stealing and being dictators. The next thing we will hear is that the price remains the same or there is an increase of K5. Those found selling in black markets will be arrested. They don’t even care to do a cost benefit analysis to see if the price is okay or not. Even the fertilizer given to farmers by GRZ is always delayed so in most cases we can just conclude that 3 quarters of farmer use unsubsidised inputs and save late GRZ fertilizer for next season.
This government is an economy killer it makes decisions without evaluating the effects of those decisions in the future.
Let the rule of supply and demand rule over this. We have chosen a liberlised economy.
Lusaka times i am very disappointed with you for not publishing my two messages i wrote over this issue. Whatever your interests are i don’t know when i was just trying to justify the cause that the price of maize offered by the food reserve urgency was not economical looking at the economic trends happening in the Country. I am sure you have done the same to many other bloggers.
Propose a price.
Zambia is the poorest country in the world while has minerals,reason: we don’t have leaders who feel for the poor people of Zambia. Our country could be far better than many countries in Africa and many people in Africa could have been running to Zambia for better life.everything is under foreigners we have selfish leaders.it cost a lot in farming but you come up with price k110 so that you leaders get more from them.