Maravi

ZNFU urges implementation of council levies abolition

ZNFU urges implementation of council levies abolition
Written by Florence Bupe
Monday, September 21, 2009 4:42:28 PM

THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has said the abolition of council levies for small-scale farmers needs to be taken further than just a pronouncement.

Commenting on the announcement by President Rupiah Banda in his speech to Parliament last Friday that he had directed district councils to stop levying farmers for transporting their produce to the market, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said this was a long overdue and welcome development, but emphasised that the pronouncement should be implemented.

"ZNFU would like to commend government for intervening in this matter which has been disadvantaging small scale farmers for a long time now. It has been a burden for us, especially that we did not know the usage of the levies," Zimba said. "This directive is what the union has been looking for, but we demand that the concerned ministry adheres to the directive."

President Banda last week directed the local government ministry to abolish council levies on small-scale farmers, observing that they were complicating farmers' marketing efforts and adding on to the challenges that farmers face in marketing their produce.

Zimba said the levies were counterproductive to the agriculture sector and reduced farmers' profits further.

He welcomed the extension of the crop marketing season by government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) from the initial closure of September 30 to October 31 this year. The extension was facilitated to compensate for the delays at the beginning of the season.

Zimba advised small-scale farmers to stop supplying their produce to briefcase buyers and millers, but instead sell their grain to FRA at the recommended floor price of K65,000 for a 50 kilogramme bag of maize.

"All farmers should ensure that they deliver their maize to FRA as soon as possible. We also urge FRA to pay farmers on time to allow them access farming inputs before the onset of the rains," he said.

And Zimba said members of parliament should fairly represent famers during their sittings, and see to it that FRA fulfils its obligation of holding 250,000 tonnes of strategic food reserves.

Labels: JERVIS ZIMBA, LEVIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ZNFU

posted by MrK @ 3:39 PM