The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) in Northern Province says it is happy that government has promised to only purchase 500,000 metric tonnes of maize from farmers in this year’s crop marketing season.
ZNFU Region Manager, Hendrix Kabwe, says the move is welcome as it will also enable government to pay farmers in good time because the number of maize it will purchase will be smaller than that of last year.
Mr Kabwe explained that last year government bought one million metric tonnes of maize which later made it fail to pay all farmers in good time.
He said this will also allow many players to participate in the purchasing of the crop especially millers.
The union leader has also called on millers in the area to take advantage of government’s move by purchasing more maize directly from farmers than always relying on government to supply them with the commodity.
And one of the small scale farmers, Charles Bwalya, told ZANIS that he is equally happy with the move by government.
Mr Bwalya explained that he was optimistic that payment for the few crops government will buy from them is also likely to be done in good time.
Many small scale farmers will be exploited. They will be forced to sell their maize to briefcase millers and businessmen at compromised prices due to excess product on the market. Sorry poor farmers! You are bound to lose after investing so much in maize.
SINCE WHEN DID BEMBAS QUOTED HERE BECOME REAL FARMERS? WE ALL KNOW THAT ONLY TONGAS AND NJANJAS ARE THE REAL FARMERS IN ZAMBIA. SO WHY GET FEEDBACK FROM WRONG PEOPLE?
I wish Govt or ZNFU could help organize poor farmers and facilitate export of maize, so that they could earn a little more than the cheap compromised prices they are likely to get from local buyers.
Can Mr Lubinda explain how the 500 000 metric of purchase will be distributed.This is due to the fact that other provinces produce more or less.I think this has to be distributed according to ratios not only to benefit one province.
Farmers are always in a hurry to cash in, organise yourselves and get good money you can export to countries like the Congo!!!!
It is time the government stopped the buying and selling of maize. Let fuel and all products determine market prices. The energy board should just be for ensuring that proper products are brought into the country . The government has got too many fingers into un necessary things.