Floor price of maize is demeaning to the Zambian farmer – ZNFU

Floor price of maize is demeaning to the Zambian farmer – ZNFU
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Monday, May 18, 2009 4:00:03 PM

ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba yesterday charged that the floor price of maize and rice is demeaning and dehumanising to the Zambian farmer.

Commenting on the floor price announced on Saturday by Food Reserve Agency (FRA) chairman Costain Chilala that 50 kilogram bags of maize and rice would be bought at K65,000 and K60,000 respectively, Zimba said ZNFU would today issue a comprehensive statement over the matter. He said the Zambian farmer had been taken for granted for a long time despite their significant contribution to economic development.

"Firstly, the so-called consultative process does not exist and farmers are not happy with the floor prices because they are demeaning and dehumanising and yet these [government and FRA] are the same people saying that farming is a business but doing the opposite," said Zimba.

"We have carefully studied the matter and today we are going to issue a comprehensive statement since farmers have been taken for granted for a very long time despite their immense contribution to national and economic development."

On Saturday, Chilala announced that FRA was targeting to buy 110,000 metric tonnes of maize at K65,000 per 50 kg bag and 1,200 metric tonnes of rice at K60,000 per 40 kg bag.

Chilala said the prices were arrived at after consultations with stakeholders on the cost of production, supply and demand factors affecting the food balance sheet.