Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo has said that the government is not forcing farmers to sell their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
Mr. Katambo said that FRA is in the market to buy maize just like any other player, and farmers have a choice of where to sell their crops in a liberalized market system.
Speaking when he visited some FRA satellite depots in Mansa and Samfya Districts in Luapula Province, Mr. Katambo explained that the government is merely urging farmers to be patriotic and sell their maize to FRA for the country’s strategic food reserves.
He said so far, most farmers who have solid their maize to FRA are happy with the price and promptness the agency is paying, which is unprecedented, as it has never happened before.
And FRA Luapula Province Marketing Coordinator Limbikani M’hango has expressed hope that the agency will meet the target of buying 1-hundred and 30 thousand metric tons of maize in Luapula.
There is simply no money from GRZ to buy maize from farmers because 2 million to thieves is just loose change .This government is worse than covid 19 and cholera put together .
Farmers will not eat patriotism when they’re seeing their leaders live lavish lives and mock others that are struggling. Why have you deployed ZNS to beat people in Eastern province? Where you waiting for Nkosi ya ma Nkosi to be upset before you respected people’s rights? Katambo go and tell your boss that people are annoyed. That’s a serious signal which you mustn’t ignore. Don’t take people for granted, and so far farmers have been given a wrong deal for a long time. It’s timely advice
Thats right BOSS. We live in a free market economy. This is how things pan out here. You get out what you put into the system and no one can force you to sell a product to a particular person or group. We are not socialist or HH’s farm business
BA KATOMBO ,ARE TELLING THE NATION THAT PARAMOUNT CHIEF MPEZENI WAS SPEAKING WITHOUT FACTS? OR YOU JUST POLITICKING AS USUAL! THAT’S GOOD FOR FARMERS.
Thank you nkhosi yama nkhosi for highlighting plight of poor peasant farmers. No one has a right to force anyone to sell their property anywhere they don’t want to sell to. We are busy shamelessly harassing poor farmers using gadgets imported from abroad…!! Shoprite, spar, choppies etc are full of foreign goods that we all enjoy, how ironic …
Its this dullard even from the photo you can tell he is just an empty tin.
Those administering state affairs only seem to start thinking and acknowledging they are servants of the people in the year of general elections. The down side is that during this same period their cadres start their drills and sharpening of machetes (panga’s) in readiness for violence and intimidation!
So you are telling us that we can sell our maize to Congo, Angola and Malawi where we can have good prices than that from Zambia. Imagine currently a 50kg here has been reduced to $5, insteady of atleast $20 or $30.in CongoDR.
Katambo if they are free, then allow them to export aswell.
There is much labour in farming and cost of inputs yet the price is of less value compared to what farmers put in