(LUSAKA TIMES) New Maize floor Price Elates Farmers

New Maize floor Price Elates Farmers
Posted on June 9th, 2008

A farmers Association in Samfya in Luapula Province has expressed happiness with the set maize floor price of K45 000 (approximately US$13)by the Food Reserve Agency. Samfya Farmers Association says its members are happy with the price. Association Treasurer Jestus Mwenya said in Samfya that the new selling price for maize had cheered farmers. He said it had always been the farmers outcry for the selling price of maize to be raised to at least k40 000 and above. Mr Mwenya said the development was an indication that FRA had listened to farmers’ demands.
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FRA chairperson Costain Chilala recently announced the new maize price for this maize marketing season. Previously, farmers were selling a 50 kg bag of to FRA at K38,000 but will now sell the commodity at K45,000 for the same quantity.

Meanwhile,Samfya Farmers Association has bemoaned the continued poor organisation of the district agricultural shows. Mr Mwenya said there had been no improvement in the way the Show Society was organised adding that the organising committee leadership failed to produce financial reports for fund raised during respective events.

He disclosed that farmers have since constituted a committee to lobby for change of leadership in the show organising committee. He said one of the lapses identified in the committee was lack of representation from farmers and other stakeholder groups. Mr Mwenya noted that it was imperative that farmers and other strategic partners sat on the committee.

Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has encouraged farmers in the country to view the soaring food prices as an opportunity to expand agriculture through the utilization of farm management skills.

FAO Country Representative Noureddin Mona said farm management skills are a great asset to small scale farmers and urged government to ensure that the farm management section under the department of agriculture is fully activated, functional and supported.

Dr. Mona said this during the close of a stakeholders meeting on capacity building in farm management for extension workers in Lusaka .

He said there is need for government to scale up the capacity building programme to the rest of the country so that all extension officers benefit.

Dr. Mona however reiterated FAO’s commitment as a stakeholder to the development of a robust agricultural sector through various programmes that include technical support programmes.

He said his organisation will continue to work with government to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, Fifth National Development Plan and the Vision 2030 by providing technical assistance in the agricultural sector.

And FAO Senior officer for enterprise development and agricultural management David Kahan said extension services have to be reoriented and made more efficient to focus on the market and production.

Dr. Kahan said in an interview that farmers need extension services for them to be aware of climate change effects to avoid crop losses due to variations in agricultural systems.

He said all farmers need to be furnished with appropriate data to be better organized in planning their cropping pattern.

He noted that extension officers should educate farmers on the need to diversify into other crops that are drought resistant or not affected by extreme weather conditions.