The opposition Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) has observed that the announced K70 floor price for maize for this year’s crop marketing season is ridiculously too low.
The ADD says this is because it is way below the production cost of a 50Kg bag of maize.
ADD President Charles Milupi notes that this year’s floor price for maize actually kills all farmers whether at commercial or small scale level.
Mr. Milupi is concerned that government has decided to set the floor price for maize at K70 per 50kg bag of maize when the prices of fuel, equipment, chemicals, fertilize and labour have all gone up.
He has told Qfm News by telephone it is clear that a rise in the price of these elements have compounded the production cost of producing a 50Kg bag of maize.
Mr. Milupi has thus challenged anyone in the country to justify that they can produce a 50Kg bag of maize at US$9 which is equivalent to the floor price of maize government has announced.
He is of the view that the minimum cost for producing a 50kg bag of maize, given the production cost, should be not less than US$15.
The ADD president has since advised government to begin to different between making mealie meal cheap and the business of producing maize.
He is suggesting that farmers must recoup what they have put in so that profits can enable them to produce for the next farming season and therefore government must not make farmers subsides the price of mealie meal by subjecting them to a low floor price.
Mr. Milupi states if government wants to make mealie meal cheap in Zambia it should do so by introducing subsidies.
Why Africa is poor government has to buy fertiliser for famers and buy the produce maize food production must not be political if grz subsidise let it be clear let’s not play politics in everything .African are lazy
What was announced is not a floor price but FRA price. If producers can find a market which is ready to buy at the high price Milupi is yapping about they are free to sell.
Milupi is dreaming here. The govt has not set any price. FRA has anounced their price. Some farmers in Southern Province are already selling at a higher price than 70 to a known miller.
Wonder what such a man can do if allowed to win elections. Subsidise m/meal?
Milupi do not just yap for the sake of it. If government had increased the price you would have been the first one to say the PF does not care about the poor. Take a hike besides that is just an FRA price. Farmers are free to sell to any willing buyer. Give us a break and offer solutions.
milupi go jump in the ocean. Simply because you and HH ripped the Zambian people at one time does not make you the most intelligent kid on the block. The sight of you sickens me.
MILUPI IS RIGHT. THE PRICE FRA IS WILLING TO PURCHASE BECOMES THE FLOOR OR OTHERWISE REFERRED TO AS BASE PRICE. WHAT MILUPI IS SAYING IS THE PF HAS SET A BASE PRICE THAT IS BELOW THE UNIT PRODUCTION COST. HOW THEN ARE FARMERS GOING TO CONTINUE BEING IN BUSINESS? SAD THING IS MAIZE IS NOT TRADED ON A COMMODITY MARKET IN ZAMBIA. THE EXPLOITATION OF OUR FARMERS CONTINUES. SOON THESE FARMERS WILL S
MILUPI IS RIGHT. THE PRICE FRA IS WILLING TO PURCHASE BECOMES THE FLOOR OR OTHERWISE REFERRED TO AS BASE PRICE. WHAT MILUPI IS SAYING IS THE PF HAS SET A BASE PRICE THAT IS BELOW THE UNIT PRODUCTION COST. HOW THEN ARE FARMERS GOING TO CONTINUE BEING IN BUSINESS? SAD THING IS MAIZE IS NOT TRADED ON A COMMODITY MARKET IN ZAMBIA. THE EXPLOITATION OF OUR FARMERS CONTINUES. THE LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL FARMERS ENJOY ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND CAN AFFORD TO HOLD ON TO THIER CROP UNTIL THEY FIND A BUYER AT A FAIR PRICE. THE SUBSISTENCE FARMERS ARE THE ONES BEING EXPLOITED THE MOST. SAVE OUR FARMERS! !!
But remember Tanzanians are coming to sell their maize here which means the floor price is right