Thursday, March 28, 2024

Government encourages farmers to sell their Maize on the open market

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Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Given Lubinda
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Given Lubinda

Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda has asked farmers to sale their maize to private buyers and not only depend on the Food Reserve Agency-FRA.

Mr. Lubinda has however appealed to Farmers to bargain for better prices for their maize during the 2014/2015 maize marketing season.

He said that Government wants to give an opportunity to farmers to make profits from selling their maize stock either on the local or international market.

Mr. Lubinda has told ZNBC News in an interview that farmers should not get desperate to allow themselves to be exploited by selling their produce at low prices.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lubinda said that government has enough stocks to enable it export the produce to other countries.

Mr. Lubinda said that the country should endeavor to export and reduce on importing to enhance the performance of the Kwacha against the dollar.

He said that the country this season produced over 2.6 million metric tonnes of maize while the country has 1.3 million metric tonnes in stock.

Mr Lubinda said that the Ministry will also be able to deliver maize stocks to some parts of the country faced with food deficit.

20 COMMENTS

  1. These guys are hypocrites! First they say don’t sell to briefcase business men, now you can sell to whoever. You know something they can’t pay they farmers on time and are after votes.

    • All you know is to condemn. Maize meal is made by millers. Why should govt buy maize for them? Farmers will now be free to set own prices for maize and will vary according to availability. Nshima is always eaten with relish. Does govt buy meat, beans, vegetables, salt and spices for marketeers and supermarkets? All producers set own prices and these prices rise and fall following the rules of supply and demand.
      Ofcourse govt will buy some maize for strategic reserves later through FRA, and mainly from small scale farmers. But big farmers like Chilala, Shenton, and HH they will surely find markets and possibly get a better price than FRA may offer.
      Without govt interference in maize buying, I can now start growing maize and sell it directly to millers at better prices.

  2. Despite encouraging farmers to sell their farm produce on the open market, the minister has failed to state when his ministry is gonna buy maize for the strategic reserves as earlier promised. This puts a rural farmer/s who are desperate to earn income for various needs of the family vulnerable and have no bargaining power. The minister should clearly state that govt has no capacity to buy maize from farmers this year and that later in the year when mealie meal prices start to escalate, Lubinda shouldn’t eve dare to make any statement in trying to control prices. Am so disappointed at the stance the minister/ministry has taken. Hon Lubinda be man enough and tell the nation the truth…….

  3. Hon. Lubinda just tell the nation that Government has got no money to buy maize from farmers. You know that Government is the mejor buyer of maize and many farmers depend on Government because it is not every farmer who can export maize unless Government comes up with a good policy that would allow even a poor farmer in shangombo to export his maize or else the rich like youself will continue exploiting the poor hance reducing the production of maize.

  4. This people the have failed to rule these nation if u support the pf then I don’t what u are thinking people.

  5. Bo Lubinda, what we need is not all these things you’re saying, what we need is adding value to the maize by the farmer do that he gets good returns. Kwacha is the same whether paid by FRA or by private sector.

  6. No money to pay for this maize.
    Truly Paya Farmer
    Power Failure
    Poverty Family
    Panga Family
    Pathetic Failures

    And you expect every peasan farmer to find that good market easily

  7. This country is full of dull people. All millers in the country are private and not govt. So really, why should govt buy maize for them. In order to keep their mills working they will buy the maize.
    Govt has all along been doing a wrong thing by buying maize for millers. All govt needs to do is buy maize for strategic reserves and mainly from small scale farmers.
    Most commercial farmers will find markets on their own.
    Your thinking is that govt should buy rape from farmers and sell it to marketeers. No, marketeers always buy their own vegetables. Prices fluctuate according to demand and supply. If anything in a year of less maize, farmers will get even more cash. That is what is called farming business.
    All Farmers need are associations to help them bargain for better prices.

    • Its you who and you Government who are dull, I say so because mealie meal prices has to be is controlled by the Government. Meaning that the millers will be controlling meal Prices. Let the Government Buy Maize add Value and export. How is a Farmer Going to export maize, they don’t have new empty bags? They depend on Soweto empty bags with different colours. Ba PF Mwalepela.

  8. I have always held lubinda on high but it’s like he’s totally lost it now. He’s fully engulfed in this pathetic failure project. Cry mother Zambia for your future is bliq under this paya fama club.

  9. FAILURE TO TAKE CARE OF FARMERS IS ONE OF THE REASONS THIS INEPT GOVERMENT OF CHAGWA WILL BE BOOTED OUT COME SEPTEMBER,2016.

  10. There is a huge market for maize in the DRC, they are now making there own mealie meal meaning less reliance on Zambian mealie meal, and am sure they will need a lot of maize because they have a huge population to feed.

    ***

  11. Shame this is the first farming season ever in the History of this Country, that the Government is not Buying Maize from Farmers. In UNIP there was Namboard then in MMD all these season up date It’s FRA but for them not to buy maize from farmers what’s the Problem. They know they will pay Farmers after 2 years so they are avoiding to be embarrassed for late payment since they don’t have money. This is the Government you want in 2016_. It’s up to you Zambians to judge.

  12. We dont know how the rainfall pattern will be. So I propose that the Govt buys are the maize from farmers to reduce meali meal prices next year . Otherwise, things will not be easy next year on food part. This might decampain PF. This is my advice.

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