Magoye MP explains farmers’ resolve to grow cannabis
Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 18:04
A parliamentarian in Mazabuka district has observed that the poor maize marketing system has prompted many peasant farmers in Chivuna area of Magoye constituency to shift from growing maize to cannabis.
Magoye Member of Parliament, Bennie Mweemba, told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that most farmers in the constituency were involved in the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis because the market for the substance was readily available.
Mr. Mweemba, who expressed worry that farmers have resorted to growing an illegal substance, said the delay by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to pay farmers for their maize was frustrating.
He said farmers decided to start growing cannabis because, according to them, that was the surest way of raising quick money for their social and economic needs.
Mr. Mweemba however urged FRA to quickly pay the farmers for the maize they sold to the agency in order for them to stop cultivating cannabis.
” I condemn the cultivation of cannabis because it was illegal but farmers are forced to do so because they are receiving a raw deal from FRA,” he said.
Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba recently expressed worry at the increase in cannabis cultivation in Magoye and Chikankata constituencies of Mazabuka districts.
Mr. Hamaamba urged villagers to stop growing the crop because it has the potential of undermining the growth of the economy.
ZANIS
Labels: BENNIE MWEMBA, CANNABIS, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, TYSON HAMAAMBA
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Magoye MP asks govt to state floor price of maize
Written by Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
THE government has been asked to quickly announce the floor price of maize in for this year’s marketing season to protect farmers from being swindled by briefcase maize buyers.
Magoye member of parliament Bennie Mweemba yesterday said any delay to announce the floor price would impact negatively on the national food reserves because some millers and other traders were already buying maize from small scale farmers.
He complained that some unscrupulous maize buyers who had invaded Magoye Constituency were allegedly cheating farmers that the government had announced a floor price of K25,000 for a 50 kilogramme bag.
Mweemba said there was need for the government to quickly announce the price of maize to enable farmers realise a reasonable profit from their crops.
He further advised the government to ensure the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was allocated enough funds to buy the produce from farmers before the bogus traders completely exhausted the commodity in rural areas.
Mweemba also advised the government to abolish the FRA after this year’s maize marketing programme and reintroduce the National Marketing Board (NAMBOARD), saying the FRA had failed to satisfy the needs of the Zambian farmers as evidenced by the delay to pay for the maize bought from farmers in the previous marketing seasons.
Meanwhile, chief Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people in Mazabuka has called on the government to enact stiffer laws that will compel cattle farmers to dip their animals regularly.
He said the laws should ensure farmers who did not dip their animals were either fined or sent to prison.
Chief Mwanachingwala said such punishment, if put in place, would help reduce perennial incidences of livestock diseases that had continued to decimate the cattle population in the district.
He complained that the district had become endemic to animal diseases because of failure by farmers to dip their animals.
Chief Mwanachingwala said he was ready to assist government in meting out such punishment to his subjects failing to observe such rules.
On Sunday, Mweemba called for the immediate suspension of the cattle restocking programme which he said was contributing to livestock disease.
Labels: BENNIE MWEMBA, MAIZE
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Announce maize price - MP
Monday, April 13, 2009, 11:11
General News 34 views 3 comments Government has been called upon to quickly announce the floor price of maize in this year’s marketing season to protect farmers from being swindled by brief case maize traders.
And Government has also been urged to ensure that it quickly moves into rural areas and buy maize from small scale farmers in order to beef up the national reserves in view of the global food crisis.
Magoye Member of Parliament, Bennie Mweemba, told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that any delay in announcing the market floor price would impact negatively on the national food reserves because some millers and other traders were already buying maize.
He complained that the unscrupulous maize traders who have invaded Magoye Constituency were allegedly cheating farmers that government had announced a floor price of K 25,000 for a 50 kilogramme bag.
He said there is need for the government to quickly announce the price of maize to enable farmers sell their produce at a reasonable profit.
Mr Mweemba also advised government to ensure that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is allocated enough funds to buy the produce from farmers before the bogus traders completely exhaust the commodity in rural areas.
He said government should not forget that currently, most nations are faced with a serious food crisis and that any delay to commence the marketing of the commodity would allow the private sector to cause artificial food shortages.
Meanwhile, Mr Mweemba has advised the Government to abolish the FRA after this year’s maize marketing programme and re-introduce the National Marketing Board (NAMBOARD).
He alleged that the FRA has failed to satisfy the needs of the Zambian farmers as evidenced by the delay in paying for the maize bought from farmers in the previous marketing seasons.
ZANIS/ENDS/HC/EB
Labels: BENNIE MWEMBA, MAIZE, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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