Thursday, March 28, 2024

Govt to announce floor price of maize before month end

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maizeGovernment says it will announce the floor price of maize for the 2009/2010 marketing season before the end of this month.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Brian Chituwo, said government is awaiting the compilation of the crop focus survey by the Central Statistics, CSO, and ministry of agriculture for it announce the price of maize.

Dr Chituwo told ZANIS in an interview that the crop market survey will determine the floor price of maize for this year.

The minister, however, said though the market is liberalised, government would want farmers not to rush to sell their maize to bogus buyers but wait to sell their grain to the Food Reserve Agency, FRA at recommended price.

Dr Chituwo was responding to calls from farmers in various parts f the country on the need for government to announce the floor price of maize.

And FRA public relations officer, Mwamba Siame, explained that the Agency is consulting with various stakeholders on the floor price for the 2009/2010 marketing season and hope that an economical price for the farmer will be reached.

Mrs Siame said FRA appreciates the interest that the nation has in the maize business as the Agency is an important intitution the efforts of safeguarding household food security.

She said the 2009/2010 marketing season is expected to open on June 1.

Meanwhile, Dr Chituwo said the Food and Suppliers Association of Zambia will soon start buying groundnuts from eastern province farmers.

The minister disclosed that the groundnuts would later be sold to Zimbabwe, where a ready market has been found through the just ended Zimbabwean International Trade Fair, ZITF, held last week in that country.

Dr Chituwo said government supports inter-country trade and noted the need for co-operation as it is the best way to address some of the effects of the global economic meltdown on developing countries.

ZANIS

21 COMMENTS

  1. you better do it . because your inefficiency has made the hard working farmers to sell their produce at give-away prices

  2. Just do it quick!! We are tired of those brief case biz men buying all the maize!! We will soon start buying from Zimbabwe!!

  3. I dont understand why it is taking ages for our Govt to announce the much waited floor price.Govt knows how vulnerable our farmers are to resist these unscruplous briefcase businessmen and yet fail to act.I somehow support the free-market=economist’s view of farmers forming co-operatives so as to have one voice and even accesss foreign markets directly.

  4. This “Dr Chituwo was responding to calls from farmers in various parts f the country on the need for government to announce the floor price of maize” sounds more of a reactive to president HH’s statement that was done in Mazabuka yesterday which is in the earlier headline news instead of the way it has been announced here.

    Why is the MMD GRZ always reacting to issues than being proactive?

  5. #4, Ba Chewe muli shani? mwapoleni tata…
    endita mukwai…, nga mulekosa, lesa apale…

  6. Can the announcement be expedited ,for the good all Zambians since Zambia is all Zambians not owned by the mercenaries in the name of RB, MC and HH.. sorry 2011 is not for any one of you guys……….

  7. i remember yu promised pipo that yu would anounce the maize prices by 1st wk of may,yu are now talking of monthend…blablabla!!

  8. Please use ‘Month end’ or ‘End of month’ instead of using ‘Monthend’ because monthend is not English.

  9. Ma fellow blogaz, news on the wire is that .Vj is in malawi invited by bingu to help with elections campaigns there. The elections are scheduled for 19th may but the president is try2 push then further .Apparently ba aisha ba vj says he needs more time2 study the electoral register . This man is gaining intnational repute as a rigging guru .

  10. Okay,Zambia donation of maize to Zim.was done without even how much stock we have. C.SO. and Agriculture and Cooperatives ,we need stock data before we starting importing G.M.O maize.

  11. This should be standard procedure and there’s no need to politicise this issue. If Zambia experiences mealie-meal shortages in the next two years then this will be a confirmation that our leaders have no over-sight. The Zambia Food Reserve Agency should ensure that food reserves to sustain Zambia for a minimum period of at least 3yrs are available in case of an emergency brought about by natural causes. The issues regarding food reserves/shortages should be underpinned by strategic approaches and not just random measures that best fit the moment. Elections are won/lost on the price and availaibility of the super staple food. If Government wants to play chess with ‘ubunga’, Zambians will check-mate them come 2011.

  12. Our manifesto should articulate this commitment (all for one – one for all) with a comprehensive set of assurances concerning every important challenge before the nation and directed at every section of society — from villagers to labourers, from the cooperative sector to the corporate sector, and from students to senior citizens. Zambia’s now ruling government and the party which rule in the future ideology should be encapsulated in two words: nation first.

  13. Thieves. Who do you take a small scale farmer for. FRA is buying WET and GMO maize from ZNFU Commercial farmers at $450 per ton, thats K131,850 per 50 Kg bag and you want to give the farmer peanuts. Chilala should step down as chairman of FRA, for selling substandard maize which is discoloured and wet. FRA has become a drier of the maize at slabs. SHAME BANE

  14. Why is FRA buying WET and rotten maize from ZNFU commercial farmers at $450 per ton or K131,850 per 50 kilo bag. Chilala, shame on you to supply maize that was rejected by inspectors FRA has engaged. Where are the morals. Anyway the ACC will not do anything coz you are protected by corruption

  15. Do we have a Free market economy or a command economy? Someone help me understand why the government must decide how much I should sell MY maize at a particular price?

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