The Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development has accused the Patriotic Front Government of lying to nation and the farmers in particular on the commencement of the purchase of maize.
Speaking in an interview FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said the PF should stop deceiving farmers with cheap excuse of maize having high moisture content when the real reason is that government is broke hence has no money to pay the farmers for their maize.
He wondered why the minister announced that government will commence buying maize last week when he knew that the moisture content was still high.
He also questioned whether the information the Agriculture Deputy Minister Greyford Monde was giving to the nation regarding the maize moisture content levels was accurate as country did not experience late rains last season.
Mr. Mwanza added that the failure by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to commence purchasing maize is an indication that the PF does not care about the farmers in the country.
“The failure by the FRA to commence purchasing maize after the Minister announced that government will open the crop marketing season on 1st July 2014 is a clear indication the PF is a “paya farmer” government. The PF has no policy direction, no consistency in as far as the agriculture sector is concerned,” Mr. Mwanza said.
“The cheap excuse the PF is using that the moisture content is high is not true; are we being told that the Minister did not know that the moisture was high when he announced the commencement of the marketing season,” Mr. Mwanza said.
Mr. Mwanza also said government should tell the nation the truth that it has no money to purchase the maize from the farmers.
“The PF government should come out very clearly and tell the nation that it has no money to purchase maize from the farmers. It has to tell the farmers the truth instead of lying to them,” he said.
He advised the ruling party to take leaf from the opposition party’s manifesto and check how the agriculture sector should be in the country.
Mr. Mwanza added that agriculture is the centre of main livelihoods hence the need to ensure that it is well taken care of by the people in charge.
Meanwhile, the hike in the maize floor price by Five Kwacha has been described as worthless by Chief Maguya of the Ngoni speaking people of Chipata in Eastern Province.
The traditional leader says the Five kwacha increase has no impact because of the unstable Zambian Kwacha against the United State Dollar.
Recently, government increased the Maize price floor from Sixty Five Kwacha to Seventy Kwacha.
Apparently everything the government does or says are lies ,that’s the nature of Zambian politics today.No real issues to discuss.
What sort of journalist would find this worthwhile of headlining news
Who cares about FDD and this statements depicts that farmers are dull.
Either nonsensical drivel all around
Thanks.
This is a wasteful time in the history of Zambia
@High IQ , do you know the story of the boy who cried wolf. The PF has put itself in this position. They have to work extra hard to prove they are telling the truth because they wea not honest in lot of issues pertaining to the country. I can give a recent example, president Sata went to meet the Israeli president. That meeting didn’t happen, if honestly u believe the govt without any proof, then sir am afraid u are very stupi.d.
@CNP
Your inability to put your point across without using insults shows that you are the one that is stupi.d here.
By the way, asking PF to stop telling lies it is the same as asking them to stop breathing. Therefore, forget PF will always tell lies in order to survive. PF needs to breath through telling lies, that is their life line
Agree with you high IQ Levels,our debates mus be objective.Zambian politics can grow and mature only if ourselves as zambians show maturity in the manner we debate on matters.If a wrong is a wrong ,it will remain a wrong and vice vesa
Ninshi bumper harvest the government was braggin bout is just a word of mouf?
This is PF ideology of deceit ‘Donchi Kubeba’. This should not surprise Zambians, PF government has no agricultural agenda or policy. Remember many fake promises PF is struggling with to justify one lie with another lie. This is how untrustworthy the entire PF has become to Zambia, its now a liability to be disposed of from Zambian society. Lets vote them out as a sign of warning to false politicians and how Zambian awareness in politics of accountability and good governance can be used to punish cheating parties, tribal and pretense democratic by inducing by elections at the expense of poverty in the nation. .
@High IQ levels
I agree.
The opposition is simply competeping for headline space, to adone themselves as the loudest vukuselas!
Surely, why cant whoever verify the government ‘moisture’ statement with an independent agency as the farmers’ union before issuing their statement?
A decade ago I used to work for a corporate that bought maize and soya. The price was set at a particular moisture level. The pricing was adjusted to the equivalent ‘floor’ price moisture level. Moisture will reduce over time under storage.
I submit that a 1% or so above the 12.5% base moisture level will not break the bank of FRA. The advantage of FRA getting into the market quickly is that presents an alternative and negotiating lever for the farmers with private buyers.
This is a pro poor government and thus should start buying immediately. Unless of course, it has no money and for which it should be honest and state the date of start of maize purchase by FRA.
The govt is reserving the money for state funeral,it will announce the new floor price to woo voters in this year presidential by election.
@Mushota Isn’ t it easy enough for you to shut up if you have got no relevant comment to put across ? I would suggest that you are too alien to Zambia’ s modern politics scenario or you are too obsessed with tribalism which is the general case that will take you to an grave ?
the extra moisture is good bwana . give it to me coz i can use it during the massage session vacamba
the extra moisture is good bwana . give it to me coz i can use it during the mas sage session vacamba
@MUSHOTA
Be wise and realistic with your comments. feel for the peasant farmers. FDD is right. We know you a Powerful Failure (PF). Good day
Why is Professor Chirwa Not appointed as Vice President with a view of taking of from SATA when he retires?? We have been waiting for too long to have an ENGINEER IN PLOT 1
@ anyoko
Obviously, you have not interacted with the professor! You will surely be let down when you do…
Ah, is there any looming State Funeral and a Presidential by election to be held soon, who is about to cross into the beyond mwe bantu ? Please, can some one start composing suitable songs for the state funeral ? I’ ll compose one as well. Thank you.
Shaven Isreal, am very sorry for you for you may kick the bucket before your enemy. Gods grace is greater than all your wishful thinking, and His peace greater than sickness and disease. We should appreciate the good and the bad things that our leaders have done for our beloved country Zambia, its not an easy walk. My heartfelt thank you to our leaders in all walks of life.
when the leader of FDD was in government, she failed the farmers, why now. i think she is an empty buckect
iyeee…ndeloleshafye
The moisture content for maize is 12.5 percent and harvesting before month of July is a dead mistake. Farmer should be encouraged to start harvesting their crops mid July or first week of August.