The Zambia Cooperatives Federation has urged government to review the Farmer Input Support Programme in the wake of rising Mealie meal prices.
“Now this is the opportune time to take time to examine the true benefits of the FISP because the true Mealie meal prices are now catching up with us,” says ZCF Director General James Chirwa.
Mr. Chirwa said government should not continue subsidizing both production and consumption of Maize even for people that have the ability to afford.
“You find rich farmers with 1,000 cattle and two light trucks parked at their farms and they are busy getting free fertilizer and seed and government again has to subsidize the Mealie meal prices,” Mr. Chirwa said.
He clarified that ZCF is not calling on government to abandon the Maize meal subsidy programme but wants to see to it that the programme was reformed and better targeted.
“The FRA is now falling to offload subsidized Maize on the market forcing millers to go out and buy the fresh crop which is more expensive than the FRA Maize and they are inadvertently passing over the added costs to the consumer.”
Mr. Chirwa said the volatile prices of the stable food will continue as long as government does not address the issues affecting the Maize subsidy programme.
“You cannot have a government that subsidizes the production, consumption and even export of the cheaper crops thereby making triple losses, government should only give subsidies to vulnerable farmers,” Mr. Chirwa said.
This is true. It seems the rich are getting greedier than the poor! . hey Richman, let the people get subsidised fertilisers , you can afford to buy expensive fertilisers.
Subsidize relish as well. Bream is too expensive
Mr Chirwa just buy the cattle also tabelesha ukuteka.
Yes, Mr Chirwa is very correct. Let the FISP target reall vulnerable small scale farmers. Dont give the fertilizer to those rich farmers. PF , we hope you are listening.
I thought subsidies were for the POOR, but it is the rich who do not even vote ba fikamba they are the ones enjoying.
:)>-[-(
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