Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has appealed to Government to reconsider its decision on to drop the maize floor price from K85 to K60.
Mr Kambwili said in a statement that his humble appeal to the Patriotic Front government is that they should seriously consider increasing or reinstating the Maize floor price.
He warned that if this is not done, the poverty levels in the country will increase drastically.
Mr Kambwili said the recent announcement of the new maize floor price by Food Reserve Agency is a massive social economic blow and this could have extreme consequences in as far as the countries food basket is concerned.
“Firstly, it’s not a secret that the last farming season was catastrophic, in the sense that the poor farmers faced a number of problems during the course of the farming season,” Mr Kambwili said.
“To begin with the price of fertiliser was expensive in comparison to previous years, fertiliser is a critical component with regards to maize farming and farmers cannot farm without it, making it a must have component, this means that farmers had to adjust to the increase in price to farm and harvest their crops successfully.”
Mr Kambwili said this alone is reason enough for FRA not to tamper with the maize floor price.
“As if the price of fertiliser was not enough, farmers were hit with another unfortunate occurrence where army worms invaded people’s crops and had a feast on what was supposed to be our feast as a nation. Army worms famously ravaged through the crops and this meant that farmers had to re-plant in some circumstances.”
He recounted that the maize had matured and grew to a reasonable size before the army worms left naked crops.
“The slow but steady response to the army worm epidemic did not help as it should have done in order to decrease the amount of cases. This served as a costly blow and farmers surely struggled to afford, the weather was somewhat kind (by God’s grace) so most farmers managed to replant and salvage something from the season,” he said.
“Moving on to the cost of production, transport, harvest, loading and storage was equally higher than the previous season because of the economic situation then.
The costs incurred where nothing short of enormous and the farmers certainly felt the pinch.”
The Roan MP said owing to the circumstances surrounding last farming season, it would be prudent for the government to carefully consider the cost of production on the part of the farmers.
“The sad truth is a decrease of K25 is far too drastic for the farmers to make an income once they sell the maize, notwithstanding the fact that the maize market is not as phenomenal as it was in the past.”
He added, “On behalf of the voiceless farmers who do not have a platform to speak out, I would like to urge the government to increase the floor price to a number that takes into consideration the grave circumstances that surrounded last farming season.”
Mr Kambwili said this issue is pretty close to his heart because his constituency was faced with the brutal redundancies the miners of Luanshya went through as a result of plummeting copper prices.
“I was the governments torch bearer when this unfortunate situation arose on the Copperbelt, our able government at that point took the initiative to quickly empower the retrenched miners with agricultural land for them to farm and make ends meet, much of the farming season was disastrous for them as very few actually had the capital to farm and they relied on my National Assembly office as a means to farm.”
“I made 14 cooperatives through my constituency office and I continuously gave the farmers fertiliser and adequate equipment, through this smart initiative steadily we overcame the grave circumstances. So for them to be retrenched, then have their little means crushed as well, it is a painful thing to go through and it will be unreasonable to let that happen.”
He added, “Mind you, the economic outlook has marginally improved this year, compared to last year when the economic outlook was not as bright but the government still increased the floor price from K70 to K85. This raises the question as to why in a bad economic situation we were able to increase the price but in a steady and better economic situation we are unable to increase the price.”
“If this is to hold out, then the citizens are liable to think that we only increased the floor prices because of elections. I therefore kindly appeal to the PF government which is close to my heart to, seriously reconsider their decision to drop the maize floor price from K85 to K60.”
Yap yap yap. Get politics out of maize farming. Let market forces determine the price. People are happy because this has led to reduced mealie meal prices. I am sure the price will move upwards on its own as the months move on. Farmers can hold their maize till November or December. That is how it works.
I think he has started accepting that he is not going back to PF.
A person in opposition speaks with that conviction.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Kambwili seems to have a point, he argued well, until the last part where he bring in politics. He blow up his argument at the point he said “….much of the farming season was disastrous for them as very few actually had the capital to farm and they relied on my National Assembly office as a means to farm.”
Does this mean this support was in form of personal loans, and now he fears, those farmers will not be able to pay him back using the current rate ?
The last part of his argument sound he is fighting for his personal loss than actually representing the farmers.
This is how we turned Chishimba into a Kashimba and Mariah Carey cooking curry!
What would happen if Jesus descended today Kashimba? Would you say go SP because they need you most? You see my friend, ALL IS VANITY SAYS THE PREACHER. Be humble and respect all God’s creation even when you think you are above all because of your silver. Repent, take a tour of the SP and apologies to so many that you have hurt with your divisive statements that you uttered on nation TV and media to vilify the Tonga, Luvale, Chokwe, Lunda, Lozi, Kaonde, Ila, Lenje, Toka, Mbundu, Luchazi and Nkoyo speaking indigenous people of Zambia.
^…..apologize (sp)
john kalulu
No descent government leaves the agricultural marketing to the market.In developed countries it is not uncommon for governments to buy all produce at a loss and in some cases even dump excess produce they have purchased just to protect the farmers.What will happen is that next year a significant number of farmers will not want to engage in maize growing and it is the citizens that shall suffer.
Now kambwili has woken up. These are contributions we were lacking from him due to being a blind follower of pf. Welcome back to opposition and sense
Thank you so much Mr. Kambwili someone has to speak up for the farmers….this government is a sham….
Keep them coming….they will regret firing you….
This Is Kambwili, U Have Now Woken Up!
Government Should Put The Intrest Of Farmers First!! What They Are Doing Will Make Farmers To Stop Growing Excess Crops In Next Years To Come And That May Leading To Severe Shortages Which Will Be Forcing The Same Government To Import The Staple Food At A Great Cost. Ask Your Neighbours Malawi, They Used To Do The Same Things That You Are Doing Ka…..
Even as die hard true PF followers I and many other PF commentators have also spoken against the low maize Price!
This is nothing new! Mr Kambwili is trying to hijack the subject and gain political mileage – this is what we have already been saying we need the maize price to be raise to at least K1.5 per kg – this the FRA I’m sure can sustain.
OUR President HE ONE ECL has heard the concerns of the farmers and will act accordingly!
Typical of imbwili, trying to be relevant unnecessarily
You cannot let market forces dictate the floor price of maize because FRA has a monopoly in terms of off take from the farmers. The problem is govt wants to get maize cheaply in order to supply cheap mealie meal (Mostly to the urban masses to gain political mileage) at the expense of the peasant farmer ( Peasant farmers account for close to 80% of maize out put). This in turn will kill agriculture. Unfortunately, in Africa we do not learn as everything is tied to Politics. Read the book, ‘The State of Africa” by Martin Meredith to see how Ghana killed cocoa production by such policies as we are doing now.
You have a point there. But imagine if Kambwili was still minister of information would be saying on this issue. As a small scale farmer I’m not happy with the new price. But I’ll not be desperate and open myself to exploitation. I’ll wait and assess the situation. That’s what business is all about.
What ignorant people don’t understand, The case of NEZ, Dweny Mwanba and Chishimba Chambwili.
1. The Government has allowed farmers to sell their maize to the highest bidder.
2. FRA is only buying strategic stocks so that we don’t have a shortage of mealie meal in the rain season
3. If Government buys maize at a high price, the price of mealies will go up.
4. Farmers who keep the maize will sell it at a higher price later
Chambwili, NEZ and Mwanba not Mwamba, the PF won’t regret firing Chishimba but it is Chishimba who is regretting being fired.
If we talked to the presido to appoint Chishimba, Minister of Info for one week, you could hear what he would say about the same maize
Politicians do not stop talking, it is their life to say what they think.
CK cannot stop what he has done all his life and bloggers cannot stop blogging fair enough everyone is a partner in Zambian governance.
This is a BUFFOON ..mr former Information Minister and govt spokesman!!
Politics out Mr Kambwili if you have bought maize from famers just sell to DRC batata. We want the price of mealie to come down so that poor people can have two meals per day. TWALUMBA KU MFULUMENDE
Kambwili,many Zambians are very happy with current prices for mealie meal which is about K60 per 25kg breakfast bag.now if FRA buys maize at K85,prices for mealie meal will go up again to more than K100 and still you shall blame Govnt for that.farmers are few people as compared to millions of Zambians who may suffer due to higher prices of mealie meal.
Moreover,farmers are free to sale their maize to the highest bidder.FRA will only buy enough maize to reserve.those who buy in bulk are millers and others.
HENCE,CK MUST BE IGNORED 100%!!!PLUS CK MUST SHUT HIS BIG MOUTH AS WE ARE TIRED OF HIM!!
It is you who is tired of him let him speak out he is also a Zambian citizen. If you hate a person it does not mean that what ever he says is rubbish. You are not yet tired of him he will be putting your government on their toes, you can ignore him but there are pipo out there who see sense in what he is saying so leave him alone, this what you wanted Kabili!
Comment:iwe chimbwili selafye tubombeko, u mean u can’t c what the government is trying to drive at. Chaep essential commodities for all to afford. Just advise boma to reduce prices for fertiliser and other imputs.
Let the market decide. I applaud the The President H.E. ECL for this move. What most Zambians do not understand is the GRZ spends close to 89% of the agriculture sector budget on two programs, FRA and FISP (IAPRI 2017). This means that other functions of the sector such as extension and advisory services, research and market development have barely been able to stand. This has to change if the agricultural sector is to drive economic development.
Moreover, average maize yields among small scale farmers in Zambia are around 2 tons per hectare. This is extremely low as hybrid seed available on the market today has a potential yield of 12 tons per hectare. So the problem is not price of maize but the low productivity of our farmers. We need to invest in technologies that can change this…
The government should focus on helping the Peasant farmer who is in a more vulnerable position other than protecting the voter’s on the Copperbelt just because you’re going to have a by-election in Roan constituency against Kambwili. You’d rather see a peasant farmer suffer for the sake of keeping mealie meal price low on the copperbelt because of politics? To argue that K85 price will drive the price of mealie meal for people in cities, so let the poor in the village suffer is evil in itself. Don’t play politics with people’s lives.
it all begins with reduction in fertilizer prices and everything comes down automatically.
The floor price may be revisited but don’t mistake that for votes Mr Kambwili or indeed UPNDonkeys. You see the thing is that farmers and voters alike take this as a household family affair which can be resolved without vultures shedding crocodile tears. Like I always say, there will never be a political leader in Zambia bad enough to make underfive or now Kambwili popular. On that the mistrust and dislike of underfive is so strong that voters will not cross the line.
@NEZ #2, he once was a blind follower like you?
No one can elect Kambwili or HH to power in Zambia! If this is your dream, keep dreaming! You will dream for a very long, long time!
That’s the spirit C.K!! People can talk , but for the same of mother Zambia that’s the way to go . Checks and balances though a human being will never appreciate
One Zambia one nation! Go Go …C.k to error is human and to forgive is divine! My fellow zambian’s let’s learn to forgive each other and pls don’t insult those in authourity because ubufumu bumpelwa na Lesa! Despite of different langauges we were all created in the beautiful image of the almighty Jehovah God . Love yo neighbour as u love yourself!!!.