The Zambia National Farmers Union has charged that the recently announced K65 per 50kg Market price offered by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is absurd and horrendously low
ZNFU President Jervis Zimba has since called for untampered functioning of market conditions and open borders.
“We urge government to maintain consistency in the export of agriculture commodities as the food balance sheet figures declared that a surplus of 341, 313 MT could potentially be exported,” Mr Zimba said in a statement.
Mr Zimba said ZNFU has disassociated itself from being party to the announced FRA price which farmers have been offered.
“On Friday 13th July 2018 the ZNFU Board led by the ZNFU president Mr. Jervis Zimba held a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Honourable Michael Katambo and officials at the Ministry, including the Permanent Secretary Mr. Julius Shawa. The Union provided the production costs for various agriculture commodities, including maize and soya beans to sensitize Government on costs that farmers incur in producing the maize.”
“At no time was the setting of MAIZE PRICES discussed and the Minister had just issued a statement in Parliament that Government is not involved in the setting of maize prices,” he added.
Mr Zimba stated that the Union has not met the FRA to discuss maize prices after last years’ efforts yielded a blank because FRA told the Union it was Government that set the K60/50KG with no consultation and Government insisted it was FRA.
“As a Union that represents all farmers in this country, we have been informed that the issue of producer prices has been left to the whims of market forces. Therefore, Government should yield to these dictates but offer an economic price to far flung areas,” he said.
“We find the statement that the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) was consulted at a stakeholders’ meeting to arrive at the K65 for a 50kg bag of maize by the FRA disingenuous as the ZNFU did not attend such a meeting.”
Mr Zimba said a formal complaint will be launched with Government because the Union stands ready to dialogue with Government if called upon to do so but not engaging in spin media tactics.
“We also refuse to be used to legitimize a price that the Union has had no input in determining hence advise farmers to find better markets and employ prudent ways of selling their maize,” Mr Zimba said.
“The ZNFU also calls on the Ministry of Agriculture to expedite the issuance of Export Permits for the surplus crop so that farmers can find alternative markets.”
He added, “To the Farmers, now that the FRA has announced its price for maize, farmers should target to sell their maize at a profit. The Union has produced production costs to guide farmers as they sell their crops.”
Mr Zimba added that bulking and selling consolidated volumes is bound to attract a better price as opposed to selling individually.
“To realise this, Zamace is a good platform for posting parcels of maize to sell,” he said.
Mr Zimba said farmers should also consider making use of the warehouse receipts arrangements because if all farmers try to sell maize at once, prices will drop even further.
“To Government, the Union has absorbed the policy direction loud and clear because the maize prices offered in 2017 and now in 2018 are not an incentive to grow maize.”
He said, “Last year, the Union forewarned that maize production will drop and the 2018 production confirms this fact, production dropped by 33.6% from 3.6 million tonnes in 2017 to 2.3 million tonnes expected production in 2018 but stocks have remained at seemingly comfortable levels for food security because of carryover stocks.”
Well they don’t have an option do they
Why do Zambians eat Nshima anyway ?
How backwards and retard is that. I eat potatoes, rice and macaroni.
This is life, and I don’t t think too much of people who eat Nshima. Could be because I’m in Europe.
I have a PhD.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
The late great MCS initiated the solar hammer mills so that millers would no longer monopolise this industry, he wanted farmers to be able to sell their Maize directly to consumers so that the consumer wouldn’t have to pay abnormal prices for their mealie meal and so that the farmers would be able to get a good price for their crop. Sadly these evil, evil, greedy Greek millers have influenced the govt once again. The sad fact is even when the price of maize is low these millers do not reduce the price of mealie meal, look at the current price at K80 for a 25kg breakfast when they the millers were buying the maize at K60 per 50kg. God’s judgment will be true and harsh. No wonder Greece is the sh1thole of Europe.
The only great thing on Sata was his big mouth and cluelesness with regards running a country. If he was still president we would still be in these problems coz PF really does not have anyone with a brain. Party led by the clueless supported by the dumb.
PF do not understand agriculture.Sunday Chanda said HH is not a farmer, he just keeps cattle. If the basics with Lungu”s formation are wrong then to expect any better is at best deluusional
We should be more worried that there’s a opposition leader with an IQ that low.
Kaponya (HH) Mr Paradise Havic Hinternational has an IQ of 65 and should be sent to Chainama.
No, instead we should be more worried that a moron (kudos) is typing here.
The ZNFU is always used to justify FRA floor price and they never learn.
The information on cost of inputs should have been made public the same day the ZNFU Board held a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture.
Further,the ZNFU should publish a 3 year projection of reasonable maize floor prices for the knowledge of the general public .
Really laughable talking to Lazy Lungu about low maize floor price is like talking to a Lion about being a vegan…this man is absolutely lazy, thinks spending 3 days in EP is working to him when the country is broke…he has never sweated for anything to understand..
Whatever happened to those 200 Solar Hammer mills imported from China funded by State House…some China man must be laughing all the way to the bank.
It’s time ZNFU started thinking outside the box, instead of lamenting the unfair maize price every year start planning to mill your members’ produce. A 25kg bag of mealie meal is now fetching around K90, calculate how much you will make if you were selling at K70? That’s the long term solution, and I don’t see Zambians changing their diet until Christ comes back. Don’t just be good at issuing alarming statements and pilfering donor funds
I doubt that farmers who subscribe to ZNFU even plant maize for sale maybe for animal feed …which commercial farmer would waste so much money on fertilizers to sell at those prices; you are better off planting sunflower and rapeseed. Zambians need to diversify their diet…
I doubt that farmers who subscribe to ZNFU even plant maize for sale maybe for animal feed …which commercial farmer would waste so much money on fertilizers to sell at those prices; you are better off planting sunflower and rap*eseed. Zambians need to diversify their diet…
Its Paya Farmer campaign strategy. Someone will soon raise it to K85 just to win votes in eastern provinice.
Where are they going to get K85 from? In 2016 they were using loans ….
Ayatollah, you are right,the farmers’ union is supposed to help farmers DLL maize at a reasonable price instead of crying foul against FRA.Even provision of input the Union is supposed to take a leading role!
ROKA – Does your uncle in the village pay subscription directly to farmers union for them to assist with inputs?
@JJ we are waiting for HH’s nickname you die hard UPND cadre.
ZNFU must indeed think outside the box. Instead of always lamenting that the farmers have been cheated again, they should be more informative to the farmer in terms of production costs for the various crops and what would be a reasonable marketing price for various crops. Farmers must have an institution to go to as it is obvious government has little or no interest in the farmer’s welfare, sad as this sound. Meanwhile, I think we farmers should just boycott the growing of maize, and you will see how this government will cry foul and say, efforts of government are being frustrated by their enemies.
Any smart farmer who is in it for business…do not grow maize, they are smart enough to realise that its not profitable. …you don’t need ZNFU to tell you this!!
So the car is out of the bag. FRA said they came up with this price after consultations with ZNFU and now ZNFU is denying that they were ever consulted. This is just like the Swazi land deal whereby the government said it was a gift until denied by the Swazi government.
Its worthless to grow maize now in zambia. Prices of fertilizers are just so high currently @ K290 per 50kg bag