Lumezi Member of Parliament (MP), Munir Zulu, says there is need for the government to revisit the crop prices announced by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) recently.
Mr. Zulu observed that the commodity prices for the 2021/2022 crop marketing season do not correspond with costs incurred by farmers during the last farming season.
“The price of maize and soya beans has negatively affected the farmers and going forward, the government shall be engaged so that it considers increasing the market price of maize and soya beans,” he said.
Speaking to ZANIS today when he ended his visit to the valley area of the constituency, Mr. Zulu said the government should consider buying maize and soya beans at a more beneficial price to farmers.
He added that an upward adjustment in the price of grains will also assist farmers make a profit from their crops sales.
“The FRA price is not tallying with the cost of production for maize, however, increasing the market price will also help with the high cost of fertilizer,” he said.
The FRA recently announced that it will buy a 50 kilogramme bag of maize at K160 while a 50kg bag of soya beans is pegged at K550.
And Mr. Zulu has bemoaned the deplorable state of feeder roads in Mwanya, Chitungulu and Kazembe chiefdoms respectively.
“The road network is so bad and it is unfortunate that the constituency keeps recording road fatalities due to the poor roads,” he said.
I thought someone promised to increase floor price ftom K150 to K250? What happened?
Ci-Colour can brother wako..
That is my bro for me. So proud of this fine young gentleman.
Nostra just continue being a frustrated virgin there abroad
THis little pratt Munir is at it again…any farmer knows that immediately the maize seeds are sowed you are already at a loss, commerical farmers dont even touch maize unless its for their stockfeed. Tell your people who elected a small boy in Lumezi to only plant maize for comsumption …let them focus on other cash crops like groundnuts.
FRA (a government quango) sets up the ‘Floor’ price for crops. The floor price simply mean that it is the minimum price the crop should sold at taking into the production cost, however the final price can be higher than the floor price and a farmer can charge that – the final price will ultimately be determined by the market (the law of supply and demand).
Cant anyone out there in Zambia just wake up and give this boy a moosa clap? or they waiting for me to come do it. Im coming dont worry. cos this boy needs to shut,
If you want to meet Jesus, then do so
Why should the government increase the price of maize?
FRA has bought all the maize stocks it needs for this season. The farmers are free to peg a price that is profitable.
K250 or even k350
Willing buyer , willing seller
Yes, small but very forceful and very intelligent indeed. He knows what he is in Parliament for. Keep it up Munir!