The Zambia National Farmers’ Union is shocked with the sentiments by Millers Association of Zambia President Andrew Chintala that they have run out of maize stocks and now applying to be considered for early maize from large scale farmers.
ZNFU Media and Public Relations Manager Calvin Kaleyi says this is utterly shameful because the country has huge stocks of early maize to a tune of 146, 510 metric tonnes, which large scale farmers are grappling with to sale.
Mr Kaleyi says this largely, this is so because there has been inertia on the part of Millers, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food Reserve Agency to make the tripartite contracts to work.
He said of the 146, 510 metric tonnes, FRA has only made available contracts for 27,754 metric tonnes for early maize purchases, but even this some Millers are failing to sign while other millers on the tripartite list have even pulled out.
Mr Kaleyi said for the record, farmers on their part have
already signed the contracts that have been released and are ready to supply the maize and to this end, farmers are waiting for millers to purchase the early maize under the tripartite agreement, and the FRA to avail contracts for another 30, 000 metric tonnes so that the maize can start moving.
“We regret to say that the statement issued by MAZ is misleading and simply hot air because the early maize is abundantly ready and they, together with FRA, are the ones that are stalling on the tripartite contract signing”, he said.
Mr Kaleyi added that the ZNFU is gravely disappointed by the inertia exhibited by MAZ, FRA and Ministry of Agriculture over the matter as large scale farmers are now stuck with their maize and yet it is
from the same commodity sales which resources are supposed to be ploughed into wheat cultivation in winter.
“Suffice to say that farmers had to borrow from banks to venture into early maize production based on the push by the Ministry of Agriculture to produce this crop and ensure national food security.We are afraid that if this is the way we are going to carry on with matters of food and national food security, it will be difficult to engage farmers on similar projects in future”, Mr Kaleyi added.
He said this whole early maize tripartite contract arrangement is just a sheer kindergarten talk with no seriousness attached to it, and yet it is a grave matter for farmers.
Mr Kaleyi said the tripartite contract arrangement saga is a total mess; the worst disaster in the history of Zambia’s agriculture and if millers are not ready to up-take the early maize, and if the FRA is not willing to allocate contracts for more maize purchases and are not willing to respect the agreement, then Government must allow farmers, millers or traders ready to purchase
the early maize to export the maize or mealie meal immediately.
maize is animal feed in developed countries,
With the mines closed. The need for alternative forex is dire. We are in need of forex. Export the maize to DRC. The farmer who grew the maize need to sell. It is unfair not allow them to export after FRA refuses to buy despite having contracted them to grow the maize. What lawlessness is this? What a country?
All farmers must be allowed to export, lets not be held captive by evil Greek millers and their Zambian proxies.
A Zambian farmer that exports will bring back that forex into the country, whereas these millers will send that money to their bank accounts abroad.
Lets support our own farmers for once, let FRA supply millers and allow Zambian farmers through Zambia Devlopment Agency and Ministry of Agriculture and DACO offices inconjunction with small scale farmers cooperatives coordinate this for the betterment of all. All levies and taxes from this income should be used only on the districts from where the maize is coming from, on areas such as rural feeder roads, schools, social welfare for the needy and stocking up on medicines plus other deprived areas.
ZNFU must sure FRA, Millers and The Ministry of Agriculture for the value of the early maize grown
ZNFU why are you shocked
FRA has no money to buy maize they’re waiting to get from peasant farmers on nkongole. Millers don’t have the capacity to buy maize in those quantities. Transporters haven’t been paid. Katambo lied to the nation, workers at FRA told us before Xmas that maize won’t last beyond April. PF is a disaster that shouldn’t last beyond August next year
Produces of all farm products should wake up and start doing some thinking out of the box. Team up if possible to create capital, value and supply chains. Kill or shrink these middle men, political institutions and avoided being manipulated. Only then will they realize true benefits from their hard work, help create real sustainable capital and investment.
Andrew Chintala should be fire for best reasons known with maize cartels.I wonder why they are still keeping him with beard his like a he – goat.
Out of Africa, and they see you as animals there abroad. So who is the fool? We thank znfu for bringing this out. We know that some organisations are being infiltrated by some well known opposition treasonous evil criminals. They have even formed a network with a few diasporans who have an agenda to see war in Zambia for selfish reasons . You can’t gain power through illegal means. This is not colonial period. Imbwa imwe
LUNGU IS A FAILURE! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING UNDER HIM HAS IMPROVED OR WORKED! EVERYTHING IS JUST BAD. ALL ECONOMIC INDICATORS ARE IN THE TOILET AND THERE ARE STILL DERANGED MONKEYS JUMPING UP AND DOWN SINGING HIS PRAISES. MULIFIPUBA BANE. NOT AN INSULT, JUST FACT.
Is Zambia ever going to get its act together when it comes to economic sectors such as Agriculture? For goodness sake, the country doesn’t have to solely rely on mining for its economic survival. We have been talking about a diversified economy in Zambia for ages. And yet when farmers rise to the occasion and meet the challenge, people in Govt somehow act like they are NOT aware or interested.
We have a ready, ‘willing’, and sizable market in the region (for instance in Zimbabwe, DRC, Malawi, extra) for commodities such as Corn and Corn Meal if only Govt can be serious about supporting its farmer. This can be accomplished by working out clear modalitie through which farmers can export their excess grain or corn meal to these countries. Farming (like any other economic sector) need…
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and require clear, well-defined and predictable systems for this sector to grow and prosper. Generally farmers operate on very thin margins so they need all the support they can get from Govt, beyond FISP, if we are serious about turning this sector into an economic engine that it could be. And in the process unshackling ourselves from the chains of the Copper “curse.”
With the vulnerabilities to the economy that mining only has exposed lately, continuing relying on this sector as the only major FOREX earner for our treasury is risky and f00lish at the same time. We therefore should blame ourselves for lack of initiative, foresight and ingenuity when mining conglomerates in Zambia behave the way they do because they understand how vulnerable our economy/country is…
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for solely being dependent on a commodity we have largely signed away to them….COPPER….so they hold all the cards!
KZ
Hehehehehe ……..
Who’s fault is the utter disorganisation in systems including the critical farming system ?? Hh ??
Hehehehehe ……
Go back to Chita and chill badala ….
@out of Africa that’s no big deal coz it’s just as much as feeding beef to dogs and other domesticated canines. None should be ashamed of your sham attitude to others’ foods