Chipata District Commissioner, Moses Nyirenda has called on farmers in the district to desist from selling their produce to unscrupulous buyers.
Mr. Nyirenda stated the farmers should not be desperate for money as Food Reserve Agency (FRA) would purchase all their maize this marketing season.
The District Commissioner said this during a meeting with farmers at Tamanda in chief Chanje’s area in Chipata district, yesterday.
He observed that it was unfortunate that some farmers had already started selling their produce to vendors at a lower price than the government recommended price of K65,000 X 50 kilograms bag of white maize.
“I have seen maize scales put up by vendors along the road an indication that farmers are selling their maize at a low prices but for the sake of appreciating your labour efforts and all the resources put in to produce the crop you should wait until FRA opens satellite depots,” he said.
Mr Nyirenda stated that all the 22 satellite depots in the district were already open but waiting for instructions to start purchasing the produce.
The DC has since urged farmers in the district to ensure that their maize was properly sieved to quicken the buying process.
Mr Nyirenda has further stated that the agriculture farming inputs for 2011/12 farming season is already in the district.
He assured farmers that they will access the commodities through the registered cooperatives and clubs adding that this can only be enhanced when they realize a profit out of 2010/11 produce by selling to FRA.
Mr Nyirenda has however warned cooperative leaders against selling the commodities and by not following government regulations when giving out the packs.
ZANIS
Farmers are free to sell their crops at an agreed price to whoever. Grz takes too long to pay up, if you sell goods you want the money asap no 6 months later. Mmd are out too many people unhappy with shrek.