Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda has assured maize farmers in Zambia that maize markets will still be available for the 2015/2016 crop despite the increasing input costs that farmers are currently experiencing.
The Agriculture Minister said this when Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) President, Dr Evelyn Nguleka and her team presented an Issues paper on the increasing costs of maize production for the 2015/2016 crop at his office.
Mr. Lubinda has assured maize farmers that government will allow market forces of demand and supply to operate in order to ensure farmers get a better price for their crop.
Mr. Lubinda has observed that farming is a business and government will continue to provide a conducive environment aimed at encouraging further investment in the sector.
Speaking during the same meeting, Agriculture deputy Minister Maxus Ng’onga says borders are open for the export of early maize.
Mr. Ng’onga has also called on farmers that had exportable surpluses to obtain permits and access the regional markets for better price.
This is contained in the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) Weekly Brief made available to media today.
PF corruption and missmangment knows no bounds. All scholarships meant for poor zambians are shared amoungest ministers to give their children and reletives. I will be sending emails to all countries that offer Zambia scholarships to be aware of this and if they could participate in the awarding to poor deserving students themselves instead of letting this group of thieves do it. Like how lubindas daughter got a scholarship.
But when are you going to pay us the last season crop we supplied to you? Its so quite as if you gave us all our money, its really so painful the kind of government we have !.FRA has not yet given us our money for the crop we supplied. Am a farmer from mpongwe and its yet another planting /farming season, but we are not paid! Please, have hearts for people, this is the only way that we pay for our children, you know that sponsorships and scholarships are for people of your calibre ba minister, pay us our dues!
Lubinda at it again. Where’s the produce that will be put on the market going to come from? The world over (except Zambia of course) agriculture is a protected industry. Govt can’t afford to fold their arms & leave agriculture to market forces.
Only a f*** would believe these empty tins who make U-turns with absolutely no shame of admitting their costly mistakes.
I saw on ENCA that Zambia would be exporting maize to South africa this year! we dont have enough for our own peoples….
Good news to all farmers supplies maize to Pf govt & FRA to contact Pf secretary general Davis chama for immediate payments, do you remember Chama challenging kasama farmers who sold their maize to GBM milling to reiterieve their maize coz according to his argument boasted that his govt was buying maize at K75 per 50kg as oppose to GBM milling which was buying at K60 per 50kg?i wonder sure where is the K75 he promised farmers to be paid on time,see now where we are heading,mind u its global under pf govt