Chipata District Farmers Association (CDFA) has expressed fear that farmers in the district might start selling their maize to the neighboring Malawi following the announcement of the maize floor price which has been set at K65 000 per 50 kg bag.
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CDFA Coordinator Vigil Malambo said some millers from the neighboring country where offering to buy a 50 kilogram bag of maize at K75, 000.00.
He said in an interview that a lot of maize was expected to be exported to that country because of the high price that millers where offering to farmers.
He said that the K65, 000 marketing price recently announced by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) would only benefit farmers that benefited from the Fertilizer Support Program me (FSP) .
“Farmers who did not benefit from the FSP are the ones that are likely to export their produce if they are to make profits, he said.
Mr. Malambo said the cost of farming was too high for farmers who bought their agricultural input from commercial shops.
Mr. Malambo however called on government to always consider the cost of agricultural inputs when coming up with market prices to enable more farmers make profit out of their produce.
The FRA over the weekend announced this year’s maize floor price which has been received with mixed feeling from stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
ZANIS
Chipata and Malawi residents are one and the same people..
I believe that whatever price it was going to be these people would still complain. Here is a solution, let the ones that got the Fertilizer support programme (FSP) sell it locally, while those that did not and feel cheated sell it to Malawi, Guess what it shall add to the GDP and feed Malawians aswell; it is a winning combination.
I saw this coming. Free economic market. Live or let die.
Go for it akwasu. Paliye vati muvutike navo mukagulisa ku Malawi. Bacilamo kumisobelesha.
Wiseman-Reborn
I remember telling you about how cooperatives can find alternative markets if they feel the local price is too low. This is an example of how it works.
If farmers feel cheated, they can form cooperatives and lobby for a high price or seek alternative markets. I remember telling you this and you where critical. Here is an example of how it works.
I suppose LT meant (to their relative in Malawi Province”. Its OK with me
Its sounds unpatroitic but its really. How did Anthony Mwnanawumo and team arrive at such unrealistic floor price of maize. K65,000 per 50kg of maize is a BIG JOKE. Are we really serious with promoting agriculture as the future mainstay of our economy or there are motives to create an artificial shortage and open ways of importing maize. The farmers have every right to sell their produce to Malawi and DR. Congo. Its not too late or FRA to revise the maize floor price. Just recently the Chairman of House of Chiefs, His Highness Chief Mumena who is not an Agro Economist suggest almost the price being demanded by farmers in Eastern Province. We vote for you pipo in positions of authority not to exploit us. You may award yourselves millions in allowances etc but not to extent of bad pricing.
After all that will be the best they can do. What else do you expect mwebanthu. Malawi is our market for maize, cotton and tobacco. Politicians are good at talking, so we’ll let you continue talking as we sell our produce to our neighbour and relatives in Malawi. God bless Zambia and Malawi as these two are related.
Shibulimi
Whats a floor price?
Limit beyond which a cost will not be allowed to fall.
So farmers are at liberty to sale their crop at any price above this. So why cry? The goverment offer price of K65000 is only a guide to farmers as to how low they can go. So far, I have information indicating that farmers are selling maize at prices as low as K20000 per 50kg bag
Farmers can sell to who evr they like, its there produce so what
that’s also fine. sell.
There has always been trade between Malawians and Zambians and RB knows thats. Govnt should endeavour to protect the small scale farmers so that the reap the benefits of what they sow and also to ensure that there is food security in the country.
The floor prce is too small. Farming is a tough job. Let farmers sell in Malawi, after all Zambians and Malawins are one people. They are the same people, actually Malawians are going to benefit from this trade and also the Zambians are going to benefit. Both countries want their citizens to be happy