Thursday, March 28, 2024

Traders disappointed with delay in maize price announcement by government

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Re-bagged sacks of maize awaiting FRA officials to buy from farmers

The Traders Association of Zambia (GTAZ) has described as disappointing government’s delay in announcing the standard price for maize for this year’s crop marketing season.

GTAZ Executive Director Chambuleni Simwinga said his association sees no justification in government’s excuse in delaying the announcement on the basis of high moisture content in the grain.

Mr. Simwinga said that much as it is reasonable to delay the buying of maize owing to high moisture content, nothing stops government from announcing the standard price for maize.

In an interview with QTV News Mr. Simwinga said pricing has nothing to do with when is the right time to buy maize or not.

Mr. Simwinga said by announcing the standard price on which it will be buying maize from farmers, all that government does is to set the pace at which maize in Zambia can be sold.

He stated that having no standard price for maize is what is worrying his association and other stakeholders in the Agriculture sector.

Mr. Simwinga said as things stand the GTAZ has observed that small scale farmers are already being taken advantage of by small traders who are buying maize as low as K40 per 50kg bag.

He said this entails that delay in announcing the government’s standard price for maize will negatively impact small scale farmers in the country.

10 COMMENTS

  1. They cannot announce the price because that would mean they would have to start buying the maize through FRA but in the meantime they don’t have money to buy.

  2. There is nothing wrong with announcing price if they have a budget. Announcing price doesn’t mean buying the two shouldn’t be confused. People and traders want the price so that they can plan. You can even announce prices for 2019 like we know who will host the next world cup. Problems with our Gorvenment is that everything is an emergency.

  3. Millers Association announced last week they would rather have grz not announce a floor price and let market forces dictate the price. Now this group exploiters GMAZ want to use the excuse of “poor peasant farmers” as leverage??? This country is cursed with failures at every level of leadership not just in grz!!!

  4. When will these people move on with this “announcing maize price” story. Maize price announcement has stopped working, people don’t sale to FRA anymore. Move on. Actually when government announces they use that reason not to sale to boma. What they just want is government to announce something so they can have a campaign message with their upnd. Ati paya farmer! Goverment never announces prices for other crops & yet they are sold. So?

  5. Traders are the biggest mafias of agriculture sector, they have already bought maize from poor farmers at a price as low as K36 per 50kg and all they want to know is how much profit they will make when it’s time to sell to the highest bidder.

  6. The Traders Association of Zambia (GTAZ)….G is not defined. IWE JEZEBEL this is not an advertising forum, u go pay for ur stupid advert and crook pipo as that land is not yours how can a drunken like u own land ?

  7. Poor government policy affects agriculture in Zambia.FISP benefits very few but government will always to say we are helping farmers what??? I would have removes fisp and provide proper market for farm produce

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