Friday, March 29, 2024

Farmers Union call for an urgent meeting after Government fails to provide feedback on early maize project

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A crop of maize for a peasant farmer in Chongwe

The Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) has convened an urgent meeting to be held on Wednesday 9 th October 2019 to re-strategize on the issue of early maize growing because there still has not been any feedback from Government on the way forward.

According to the statement released to the media by ZNFU, So far, there has been no consultations on the cost reflective pricing of early maize if it is to be grown and no commitment made on the purchase modalities including export prospects.

Farmers are very conscious of the high cost of producing maize under partial irrigation and artificial drying arrangements hence no farmer will rush to grow early maize unless there is a transparent system for marketing and pricing mechanisms arrived at in a consultative manner so that there is a win-win outcome for all players in the value chain.

We must make mention that the high cost of inputs, recent increase in fuel prices and the pending increase in electricity tariffs all add to the cost of production hence the need for mitigating measures.

5 COMMENTS

  1. It is was just a gimmick by lungu to show he is doing something by mentioning June maize because of high prizes of maize meal ………….

    same as when we had load shedding last 2 years , lungu was running around commissioning alternative power sources hoping to convey the impression of the end of load shedding……

    It’s all just uncoordinated gimmicks by lungu, he has no project specialists advising him, he has kaizer Zulu and freedom sikazwe instead……

    • How is the president involved in ZNFU affairs? ZNFU whats to use the poor harvest in some parts of the country to make profits for its white members who don’t even eat nsima. If ZNFU members want to grow winter maize, it too late. Very soon farmers who feed the country will start planting maize and other crops

  2. ZNFU should merge with the Millers Association if it’s to be strong enough to determine its programs without looking so much to Govt. GRZ officials are preoccupied with making money through FISP. A strong farmer-miller bond will be good for business. We have a good market for agro products in the DRC but for many years trade with the DRC is discouraged by labeling as SMUGGLING. Truck loads of goods that include fruits and vegetables, meat products etc from South Africa pass through Zambia to the DRC, can’t we learn from that? While peasants are restricted those with Diplomatic Passports are busy selling truckloads of maize and mealie meal to Congo. There is nothing good that can come from this crop of politicians so think from outside of the usual box

    • By the way don’t always think in terms of mealie meal whenever you think about maize production. There’s a thriving market locally for stock-feed. You can get a good return on winter maize from stock-feed production. If you rely on Govt you won’t make it. We haven’t forgot the winter maize fraud under Mwanawasa and his former clients. Let’s prevent a recurrence of such scandals

  3. DREAM ON! THIS P.F, GOVERNMENT HAS OTHER PRESSING PRIORITIES ON ITS HANDS.
    The leader flies out @ night, to go & sort out “Urgent Business” in Kenya freeing up dodgy characters, so farming is currently not in the leaders in tray.
    There have pressing issues needing urgent attention, i.e, intimidating & paying Judges /members of investigative agencies to sweep under the carpet, cases to do with Drug dealing friends of the First Family, & protecting an Ultra Violent assaulting Criminal Special Advisor to the President for Corruption, Violence, & Vote rigging.
    AFTER ALL THIS, WE WILL LECTURED ON THE AIRPORT TARMACK, -(NO PRESS CONFERENCE REMEMBER), BY THE VISIONLESS THIEVING ONE, SAYING “PROBLEMS OF POOR FARMERS YIELDS ARE DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING, & UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER PATTERNS”…

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