The National Union of small-scale farmers in Zambia (NUSFAZ) says that the fuel pump price increments have negatively affected the cost of doing business for farmers across the country.
NUSFAZ Executive Director Ebony Lolozhi reasons that at the time small scale farmers were transporting their inputs to their farms the price of fuel was not as high as it is now.
ZANIS reports that Mr Lolozhi in an interview lamented that now that fuel has been adjusted upwards, the farmers will incur more costs to transport the harvested produce to the market.
“The same goes for farmers involved in irrigation. those that are using petrol or diesel pumps, they have definitely been affected in that the cost of pumping water has now been increased and even have to suffer reduced income,” he said.
He added that the normal trend in Zambia is that the rate at which the cost of production rises and the rate at which the output prices rise is not the same.
The Executive Director said that production costs rise faster compared to output prices adding that if the best was to come out of the agriculture sector the government has to get involved.
Mr Lolozhi said the government can play its part by ensuring that it regulates and deals with issues of subsidies efficiently by protecting the small scale farmers.
He said if the small scale farmers are protected they will not fall out of production as the cost of doing business will be favourable for them.
You need to endure. This is the government you voted for. Stop crying bwana Lolozi. You are yet to see the worst
The biggest negative impact that businesses in Zambia suffer comes from instability of the price of commodities. The main culprit is the Kwacha exchange rate. This fluctuation usually erodes that little gains made in the short-term. What businesses require is stability. It’s for this reason that I don’t support the current policy on the monthly review of fuel pump prices.
PF cadres always just waiting for negative news then u seen them floood the site. Well, you embeciles, the fuel price will fluctuate and for a very long time as Zambia doesn’t manufacture the said fuel, for it to stabilize the price. Who determines the price of onion? The farmer right, so this same monkey complaining in this article hasn’t reduced his maize price since Rupiah Banda left office. So, the same way he has only increased his maize price, fuel will also only increase. Thankyou
There is now an opportunity to grow wheat to meet the supply deficit which will arise due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The Zambian government and the private farmers should take advantage of this emerging opportunity instead of specialising in complaining about fuel prices every day!!
Henry, what does “this government you voted for” have to with global fuel prices? If oil prices are up, fuel prices must also go up. Zambia is not alone in this. Simple,
If anything, it would be more meaningful to say that the last government (the one you voted for?) bankrupted the country so it can no longer afford to protect consumers from changing global prices.
Nalumango economic theory……. Things have to go up in order to come down. We are are still going up up and up. I am not sure at what point we will start coming down. May be the VEEP can give a bit more insight in this theory.
Global oil prices can’t be undone by Zambian decisions unless you decide for fuel subsidies. But in the light of the upcoming IMF loan those subsidies are a nono. By the way, I have noticed that – since the government has banned onion imports – the price of onions has TRIPLED. And who is benefiting from that excessive profit? Indeed the FARMERS! So stop complaining!
EDUCATE THE MASSES ON GLOBAL FUEL PRICES
ITS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS GOVERNMENT
WHAT A LOAD OF B00LLOCKS BEING MENTIONED HERE
@3 Step Aside-Silently, PF cadre do not need to wait for something bad to happen. Bad things are happening every minute. UPND promised that Zambian people fuel at k5, Mealie Meal at k50, Fertilizer at k250, free education from grade one to University the list is endless and the Zambian people voted for UPND based on these promises. Everyday that passes for a Zambian without seeing these is a very bad day. What we are seeing is the opposite of what was promised.
@KCI; thanks for your concern, well I have a simple question for you; the debt that these PF cadres left u trapped into-how long will it take for it to be settled? Yo answer ll probably be, not less than 5years. Now u ve a ten year debt to settle and yet u want to see campaign promises being achieved everyday-with what money? Did u give the UPND that money? So wait until after 10years and u ll see the kwacha back at K5 & free UNZA. U *****s hide the debt figures and u want to complain the loudest for political mileage. Cos real Zambians aren’t complaining as they know the truth behind yo both crocodile mouths.
So KCI yes the UPND promised the Zambian people and they ll deliver as they promise cos the UPND doesn’t lie. But like I said, it won’t be now, atleast 10years. Also remember those are UPND promises and not PF, yet there is still 80% of pf working in GRZ institutions – these people won’t deliver for the UPND-therefore UPND has to clean up first. Remember the PF only employed Bembas & Nyanja in all key positions. So the country still has to be equalized on all those positions too. U are probably complaining cos u are either Bemba or Nyanja as u guys were used to eating with the PF and now it’s dry. Wait, u haven’t suffered yet, there is more suffering coming your way brother.
You trained other provinces to survive without GRZ help remember, therefore those provinces with or without GRZ help will still excell, as they ve 10yrs experience in this, while u, on the other hand, shared 90% of the budget between two regions. Now when u get your 10% which is what u are entitled as one province-suffering kicks in. Hand-outs are not forever bro. Muza muziba Yesu apha manje!
You can set a cap on what subsidy support can be given say at $145 per barrel for sectors of value that could be supported to ensure productivity and revenues contribution to the treasury However the mechanisms to implement that in the most targeted way for those sectors of contribution not consumption in intensity of use of Fuel You can still charge some marginal subsidies redistribution to sectors increase productivity in such as wheat to increase revenues and take advantage of makerts How you help to reduce cost of production is truly a reflection of government inniatives in view of fuel pricing anormally and recoup
Keeping businesses afloat should be Gov usual support always but keeping those farming entrepreneurships afloat also requires review of some farming practising methods. Creating financials to monitor the yields costs and see the contribution for various crops and meats It also an energy transition stratergies to cheaper methods Now because the price spike is out of normal Gov must show inniatives to support the sectors in pricing and procurements It’s also an opportunity to explore for fuel those mulengas projects as euro look to Africa