Kalumbila District Farmer Association Chairperson Nsubula Hachipabenda says farmers in the area are expectant that government will increase the maize floor price from the current K180.
Speaking in an interview , Mr Nsubula said government should consider the prevailing factors of the farming input on the market when setting the price of maize this year especially that many farmers did not receive farming inputs from government.
Mr Nsubula said the farmers planted using the farming inputs with high prices hence the need for the government to give prices that are going to interpret what is obtaining on the ground.
“We are appealing to government to really pay attention to the factors that are on the ground, the cost of inputs…we know that they were famers receiving inputs on FISP, but they are other farmers that didn’t benefit from FISP. It’s important that government gives a price that is going to really interpret what is obtaining on the ground looking at the cost of inputs on the market,” he said.
He explained that last year farmer unions had made calculations that would allow farmers to make profit and that this year suggestions will be floated to government before the start of the marketing season.
“We know that 2022 we were selling maize at K180 per 50kg bag of maize that is not interpreting, I think as farmers union we had made calculations suggested to the government the price at which the farmers would make profit even this time around when time comes for marketing season we are going to still sit down and come up with figures that we will float to government so that as government is coming up with the price of the commodity they have the figures at which the farmers have actually planted and are going to make profit.. if they decide to ignore that it’s up to them” he said.
