The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has called on the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to offer farmers a better maize price during this year’s marketing season.
ZANIS reports that ZNFU president, Jervis Zimba said increasing the floor price will enable farmers to get full cost recovery and mark an increase in their profit margins.
Mr. Zimba stated that the K110 maize price for last year was not supporting the farmers to continue with their various agricultural practices.
“Most farmers are at a loss with the price the FRA offered, but luckily there is an alternative market availed by the private sector,” he said.
Mr. Zimba explained that most farmers have continued to rely on the private sector to buy their commodities in order for them to get profits.
He has since urged government to offer farmers an attractive price for their produce in order to empower them to diversify to other crops.
M. Zimba noted that an attractive price will lure farmers to sell to the Agency and the temptation of smuggling would be avoided.
I wonder why farmers even waste energy planting maize…I mean you make a loss even before you sow the seeds
I have a funny feeling that the Zambian consumer doesn’t agree with any price increase!
Look at this;
1. a 10kg maize seed = K420
2. a 50kg bag of fertilizer = K670 ( x2)
3. Land Clearing 1 lima = K250
4. Ploughing 1 Lima = K220
5. Planting 1 lima = K120
6. Weeding 1 lime = K120 ( if one used weed killer K230/ltr x 2bottles, spray pump K420/ 16ltr)
7. Harvesting a lima = K 100
8. Packaging = K10 an empty bag
9. Transportation cost ?
10. Other labour ie- shelling and packing in the bags
Then some one wants maize to be sold at K110,
That is a joke. I will ask also my fellow farmers if the FRA says K180/50kg bag, let us refuse and be arrest us on our own food.
Don’t worry this is an election year so there will be a marginal price increase than that of last year. As for consumers, don’t worry the price of mealie meal will be subsidized since this is an election year. Win win for both farmer and consumer albeit just for a few months.
@ Tarino Orange and No Corruption Zambia, I follow your points as maize has been extensively glorified as Zambia’s staple and even receives more promotion in areas not really friendly to its full potential production! Mr Zimba’s interaction with markets on behalf of the farmers is more political than transactional! Farmers do not collect production data to enable the negotiation point of produce pricing and profit margins deserved! Instead of “DEMANDING” a profitable maize floor price, Mr. Zimba is “CALLING FOR” like anyone can call for anything hoping someone is listening! Otherwise open up markets with neighboring countries willing to pay! The consumer is not the farmer’s problem that they agree or disagree with price the farmer sells his produce! The Zambian situation is that…
contd…. The Zambian situation is that to a large extent most a consumer who raise noisy disagreement are ‘loiterers’ in cities who are scared of village life when their usefulness in cities is over! Fortunes dwindle and they can’t return to their villages to feed themselves from the land and taking with them the experiences and knowledge gained to enrich rural areas and raise standards! KK tried to encourage self sustenance with the “back to the land” sloganeering!
Add value iwe! maize can be used for cereal, polenta, crisps, risotto, munkoyo, shake shake, fire blocks for cooking, kachasu, feed, fertilities…list is endless. Just like copper, we need someone to come and show us how it’s done first before we realise the true value. I will be setting up a factory soon to do just that. Watch this space.
That was fertiliser.