Small scale farmers in Kasama have wowed not to sell their maize this marketing season to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) if their conditions are not met.
They have since called on FRA authorities to ensure that farmers are paid their money immediately or shortly after selling the commodity to them than subject a farmer to wait for a long period of time after selling the agricultural produce.
Isaac Mubanga a Small Scale farmer’s spokesperson from Munkonge Village said this in an interview with ZANIS in Kasama District, yesterday.
He said that the trend of paying the farmers late subjected them to miserable lives as they were able not to meet their daily needs and yet they had the money hanging elsewhere.
The group has since urged government through FRA to speed up the mechanism of paying farmers quickly come this marketing season.
He however commended government for delivering the farming inputs in good time and wished that it could do the same this farming season.
Hold your maize at own peril. You cant even store it properly later alone fumigate it against beetles, larva and othe insects. espescially, Larger grain borer.
It shows you have no idea about farming and so detached from reality. The farmers are justified to take this action because FRA is so inconsiderate. It got maize from farmers and never paid them in time. Some of them are still struggling to get their money. Those who got received it late after a protracted struggle, sleeping in shop corridors waiting to be paid. Treating maize against pests is simple. Just put Shumba. One bottle is costs about K20 and treats 8 fifty kg bags. For rats just put rat terminator but let the maize be stored in a lockable storage away from children.
I am also hoping the private sector will again offer a higher price than that of FRA. In nearby Chongwe private buyers were paying between K70 and K80 for a 50kg bag while the FRA price was K65.
Now Bembas are talking sense. You are better off keeping your maize produce than handing it over to FRA. They are deceptive
Mukabola nayo. I will sell mine to FRA.
TO THE REPORTER FIRST. “SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN KASAMA”! IS MUNKONGE IN KASAMA AND NOT LUWINGU?
ANY HOW AND BACK TO THE ISSUE REPORTED ON; TO TRY AND DEAL WITH THIS PERENNIAL PROBLEM OF MONEY, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SIT DOWN WITH MILLERS AND LET MILLERS BUY MAIZE STRAIGHT FROM FARMERS UNLIKE THE SITUATION WHERE GOVERNMENT BUYS AND THEN RE-SELLS THE SAME TO MILLERS. IT MADE SENSE WHEN THERE WAS A SUBSIDY BUT THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE.
THIS SMALL SCALE FARMER SHOULD HAVE DEMANDED THAT THEY BE PAID ECONOMIC PRICES FOR HIS PRODUCE, WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WOULD RESIST BECAUSE THE FERTILISER HE GOT WAS SUBSIDISED BY THE GOVERNMENT!