Friday, March 29, 2024

ZNFU commends Government’s announcement of grain floor price

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Farmers rebagging their maize at Kamuswazi Satellite depot
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) in Northern Province has commended Government for making a timely announcement of the price at which it will purchase maize from farmers this year.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kasama yesterday, ZNFU regional manager Hendrix Kabwe said the move will enable farmers to plan well in advance for 2016/2017 farming season.

He said that this will also prevent farmers from being exploited by unscrupulous buyers in many areas as many briefcase buyers often take advantage of farmers by selling their crops at a lower price.

He further urged farmers not to rush in selling their maize to such traders as Government will procure most of their produce following the increase in the number of maize it will procure this year.

The Union leader explained that the numbers of maize to be purchased by Government has gone up from last year’s 500 to one million metric tons.

Mr. Kabwe noted that the increase in the number of grains to be purchased has also given farmers an assurance that most of their crops will not go to waste.

Meanwhile some of the farmers talked to have appealed to Government to consider making an upward adjustment in the maize purchasing price Joseph Chitalu said the price of many farming inputs have been hiked hence the need for Government to consider increasing the price of maize.

And Charity Sampa also said if the price is increased it will enable farmers to have a more lucrative profit from the farm produce.

On Tuesday this week, Agriculture minister Given Lubinda announced that FRA will this year purchase one million metric tons of maize from farmers immediately after the crops are dried up to a recommended moisture content next month.

The minister also announced that the Food Reserve Agency will be buying a 50 kilogram bag of maize at K75 in this year’s crop marketing season.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Who is Charity Sampa? A blogger? A farmer? Oh – and Joseph Chitalu? A purchasing price? What an incoherent article this. Luckily we were able to guess Hendrix is a regional guy for the Northern Province (or is it for Kasama?) – Eish – almost getting a hemorrhage here…

    • Kalok, why do you care so much? You must be unemployed and bored to death. Relax. Life is too short.

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