Chikankata Member of Parliament, Munji Habeenzu has pleaded with farmers in Mazabuka’s Mapangazya area to stop selling maize at give away prices because government will in the next few days announce the floor price of maize.
Some farmers in the area are selling a 50 kilogramme bag of maize at K 18,000.
Mr. Habeenzu said selling maize at low prices would make it difficult for the farmers to buy farming inputs during the next farming season.
He told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that farmers have ignored calls to stop selling maize to unscrupulous maize traders who have invaded Chikankata constituency.
Mr Habeenzu noted that the prices being offered to farmers by the unscrupulous businessmen are far below the reasonable price.
He said the high influx of briefcase maize traders in Chikankata would result in some farmers being swindled if the trend was allowed to continue.
ENDS/HC/AM/ZANIS
Could someone spit some date as to why Government should always wait until the farmer has sold his last grain to announce the floor price of maize? Farmers are people deprived of money for almost five 5-6months in most cases and cannot have patience to wait after the prospects of their labour have become real in a harvest. Its like telling a newly wed couple to hold on to their honey-moon!
No signs of fixing this problem. It is the government to blame!!