Zambeef burns imported meat
By Mwala Kalaluka in Chisamba
Thu 25 July 2013, 14:01 CAT
ZAMBEEF yesterday burnt all its imported beef products following the government's findings that some of them contained aromatic aldehyde.
And Zambia National Farmers Union president Jervis Zimba described yesterday as a sad day for Zambeef but that the company management had learnt their lesson.
Meanwhile, the government has commended Zambeef for destroying the contaminated meat. In his opening remarks, Zambeef public relations manager Justo Kopulande explained that the burning conducted at its Chisamba Huntley Farm around mid-day was simple and straightforward.
"We can just say that events of the last three months have brought us together and our programme is very simple and straightforward," he said. "We will move from the high table. We will move across to what we have prepared to torch over there."
Zambeef board chairperson Dr Jacob Mwanza said following the events of the last month the company had taken a clear and unequivocal decision to return to its roots and deal exclusively in Zambian beef products only.
"I would like to make it clear that the products that we are going to destroy this afternoon represent those products which have been fully approved by the Ministry of Health," he said. "We are drawing a line; a very clear distinctive line between what we have been doing in the past and what we are going to do in future. We are going to stop all imports to ensure that we focus our business on purely Zambian beef."
Dr Mwanza said the disposal of all imported beef products was done in consultation with the Ministry of Health and that it has been done to give the Zambian public the company's unwavering commitment to selling locally-bred and produced beef.
"Since June 20, 2013 and from this day forward, only Zambian beef products will be on offer in our outlets," Dr Mwanza said. "We thank the Ministry of Health for their guidance and advice on this matter."
Asked about the exact quantity of imported beef products that were going to be torched, Dr Mwanza said he could not expressly indicate the quantity because some of the seized products were still with the Ministry of Health.
"They haven't given us the details yet but it should be a very small proportion," he said. "We have a job to do and we have a company to run."
Dr Mwanza said there was need for foreclosure on the matter so that Zambeef continues its contribution to the growth of the agriculture sector and the Zambian economy.
And Zimba said he was forced to forego the long speech that he should have delivered at the event because he had realised that it was a sad day for Zambeef.
"I would like to congratulate Zambeef for taking a very bold decision to voluntarily destroy all imported meat products," Zimba said. "What has happened in the last one month should be put behind us and I would like to appeal to consumers to trust Zambeef as all the beef and meat products currently in retail shops is 100 per cent local."
He said it was a trying moment for the company that employs over 5, 000 people.
"I would also urge you to put this behind you as management as some lessons have been learnt," said Zimba.
Zambeef chief executive officer Francis Grogan pledged the company would maintain its 100 per cent Zambian brand.
"Zambeef is 100 per cent committed to Zambia," said Grogan.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Kamoto Mbewe said the enforcement of the Public Health and Food and Drug laws was not meant to persecute traders but to safeguard public health.
He said the ministry was delighted to be part of the process where Zambeef was complying with the law.
"We thank Zambeef for having complied with the law," said Dr Mbewe.
Following the speeches, Kopulande directed the gathering to an open ground where a pile of firewood was heaped with boxes of offals and kidneys placed below the stack.
"At this time we are going to stand down from the high table and take a short walk across to where we will be torching…the chairman and Dr Kamoto Mbewe are going to torch the products. We are torching, there we go," said Kopulande as the stack of firewood got engulfed by flames and the gathering headed towards some tables where there was roasted beef and salads.
Labels: FRANCIS GROGAN, JERVIS ZIMBA, ZAMBEEF, ZNFU
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ZNFU equips Mpulungu farmers
By Kabwe Kapampa in Mpulungu
Sat 20 July 2013, 14:00 CAT
By
THE Zambia National Farmers' Union (ZNFU) has handed over bicycles, ploughs, oxen and a water pump to local farmers in Mpulungu. The initiative is part of ZNFU's asset financing solutions to their members.
Speaking during the handover ceremony held at the ZNFU offices in Mpulungu, district agriculture coordinator Kennedy Sinkamba said apart from improving crop production, the agro-equipment would also ease the farmers' work, which was usually labour intensive.
He said the government was equally making efforts to facilitate the development of a vibrant, sustainable and profitable agro sector.
'To do this, we will need the support of all stakeholders especially you our dear farmers,'' Sinkamba added.
Sinkamba said the government would continue to consult ZNFU on all matters of mutual and agriculture interest to ensure proper implementation of services like agribusiness and input provision.
'Let us ensure that together we reach as many farmers as possible to benefit from various products we are offering as this will ultimately lead to social and economic development,'' he said.
Five bicycles, six ploughs, two oxen and a water pump were given to the farmers.
Mpulungu district ZNFU field facilitator Joseph Zulu urged the farmers to guard the equipment jealously and ensure it was utilised for the intended purposes.
'At ZNFU we have a saying that, 'If you have eaten anything today, ple
ase thank a farmer…..Remember no farmer, no food, no future…, Zulu told the gathering.
The beneficiaries were drawn from different places in Mpulungu district which included Mwanamboko, Kapoko, Kasakalawe and Vyamba.
A farmers' representative Wigan Kabwe said the agro-equipment given would help the farmers to improve on their yields and alleviate poverty levels in their households.
'When the Lake Tanganyika Integrated Management Programme (LTIMP) phased out we were worried because they provided us with finance, technology and farming knowledge that would last for a long time…we are glad that ZNFU has followed in their footsteps,'' Kabwe said.
Senior fisheries research officer Danny Sinyinza and district veterinary officer Dr Gerry Chikuni also witnessed the handover ceremony.
Labels: ZNFU
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Sichinga must bring sanity to FISP - ZNFU
By Henry Sinyangwe in Lusaka and Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Fri 15 Feb. 2013, 15:20 CAT
ZNFU says it expects the new agriculture minister Bob Sichinga to deal with the FISP, which it has descried as disastrous in its current state.
And Sichinga says the bigger picture is to create jobs as the bulk of Zambians are in the informal sector, which affects disposable income.
In a statement released yesterday, Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba said that the union had received with utmost anxiety and high expectation the transfer of Sichinga from Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to agriculture.
He expressed disappointment at the late delivery of farming inputs, which he said would adversely affect this year's harvest.
"The management and handling of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), which can be described as disastrous in the current agricultural season, to date, distribution of inputs is still going on and a number of our farmers haven't yet received their inputs. This situation is unacceptable and should never repeat itself. The minister will need to dedicate his energy and time and bring sanity in the manner the FISP is being managed and implemented," Zimba stated.
He cautioned that the continued importation of cheap subsidised agricultural commodities such as dairy, pork and poultry products, wheat and wheat products must be guarded against at all times.
"The propensity by some officials in the ministry to carelessly issue import permits of subsidised agricultural products from other countries has potential not only to cripple the agriculture sector but also wipe out all local jobs in the Zambian agricultural industry," Zimba stated.
He stated that there was a strong push from certain players in the industry to import powdered milk to be reconstituted as fresh milk under the pretext of testing the Zambian market while promising to create jobs.
Zimba stated that despite the union's opposition, pork sausages have continued to be imported onto the Zambian markets, causing low uptake of pigs by processors from small-scale farmers.
He said the farming community was dismayed by the ministry's decision to allow exports of Zambian bran to countries in the region at a critical time when the Zambian livestock farmers needed the commodity most.
He said the union hoped that a lesson was learnt and that Sichinga will carefully weigh the benefits and put the Zambian farmers first, which had so far not been the case.
"The ZNFU wishes to earnestly implore our new Minister to ensure that practical steps are taken now and way in advance in preparing for this year's marketing season. As a Union we do not want to see a scenario where our small scale farmers continue spending nights in the cold waiting to be paid by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) or stranded because there is nowhere to sell their produce. We believe time is now to end the perennial problems of agricultural marketing in Zambia," stated Zimba.
And speaking on a special radio programme on Falls FM, Sichinga said development was a process and not an event, and the PF must be given a chance to carry out this process.
"The bulk of our people are not in the formal sector; they are in the informal sector and this sector is difficult to access as there are no details to find out who is doing what, but we can say roughly that 80 per cent of our people are in the informal sector and only 20 per cent are in the formal sector.
It impacts the national economy as disposable income is affected, and that is why we are seeking to increase the opportunities," said Sichinga, who is in the tourist capital to attend a business forum and also drum up support for the PF candidate in the February 28 by-election, Lawrence Evans.
He said the government's challenge was to ensure that institutions that could impart skills to the youths were in place.
"We as PF are performing; give us a chance by giving us an MP who can be in a position to understand the policies, and I'm sure that this time around they will vote for the PF candidate who will be able to benefit being an insider and would implement programmes to the benefit of the people," he said.
Sichinga added that the PF was delivering where the MMD, failed and needed the peoples support to effectively deliver.
He said members of parliament were elected take development to the people and to get their complaints heard by government. Sichinga wondered why the opposition was denying its members that obligation.
"Where would the opposition MP get funds to take development to the people, because the budget is now geared to the PF manifesto? I am making an appeal to the Livingstone residents to attend the business forum and also to elect the PF candidate," said Sichinga.
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Workers complete demarcation of Luena farm bloc
By Godfrey Chikumbi in Kawambwa
Fri 15 Feb. 2013, 15:20 CAT
THE Luena Sugar farm bloc in Kawambwa district has been completed.
District commissioner Ivo Mpasa disclosed in an interview yesterday that the completion of the demarcation works of the core venture in chief Chama's area followed the government's release of over KR1 million last year towards the project.
Mpasa, who is district chairperson for the adhoc committee on Luena Sugar, said a combined team of technical workers from various departments managed to beat the deadline of three weeks.
He said the ad hoc committee had advised the Department of Agriculture to abandon the formation of smaller farm plots in the farm bloc in order to expedite the formation of the core venture.
Mpasa explained that the core venture, which was a giant plot of the over 100,000-hectare farm bloc would accommodate the main sugar plant and factories once fully developed by investors.
"Investors are eyeing the core venture; that is why we have prepared it before the entire farm bloc can be demarcated. But now that the core venture has been done, our officers will now move to smaller plots," he said.
Mpasa said the completion of the core venture had earmarked the beginning of the realisation of the long-awaited Luena Sugar plantation, which had been a pipe dream for ages.
He said it was the hope of his committee to see the Luena Sugar project begin to be fully operational before 2015 so that jobs could be created.
"Our government's desire is to completely avoid using the Luena Sugar as a campaign slogan in 2016; that is why for the first time you are seeing political will and support by the PF government," Mpasa said.
And Mpasa said the workers were currently demarcating four farm plots of 2,500 hectares each that were meant for outgrower commercial farmers.
He said the four plots were the second-largest after the core venture in the farm bloc and would be taken up by four commercial farmers once completed.
Mpasa explained that the commercial farm plots were located in Mweo and Kuyumba areas of Senior Chief Mushota's chiefdom.
He has since appealed to the Survey Department to begin erecting beacons in the cut lines which were used to demarcate the farm plots because delaying to such works would allow grass to overgrow.
Meanwhile, Mpasa said the ad hoc committee would be meeting to review the works that were done in the farm bloc and come up with an action plan for 2013.
"We need to cost all the programmes to be done in the Luena Farm Bloc this year so that we submit to relevant ministries for funding," he said.
Mpasa said the adhoc committee would not wait for technical officers at the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters to plan for the works to be done in the farm bloc because his committee was capable of planning and only to submit to the ministry for funding and technical advice.
Labels: ROBERT SICHINGA, ZNFU
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Scott advises farmers to ensure quality products
By Henry Sinyangwe in Lusaka and Cynthia Phiri in Namwala
Mon 22 Oct. 2012, 15:20 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott has advised farmers to produce quality products that the hospitality industry can easily purchase and make available to consumers at affordable prices.
And the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has called for policies that will reduce the cost of operations in the agriculture sector to make food more affordable.
In a speech delivered for him by agriculture deputy minister Rodgers Mwewa at the hoteliers and farmers' gala night on Friday dubbed: 'Celebrating 48 years of independence with vision, hard work and unity', Vice-President Scott said the government was putting in place measures aimed at turning around the sector so that more jobs and income could be created.
He said the government would do everything possible to create wealth for its people and ensure that poverty levels were reduced by supporting the agriculture sector.
"We envisage a Zambia which will be able to sustain food security and generate opportunities for employment and create wealth for its citizens through agriculture production," Vice-President Scott said. "Therefore, all of us have a duty to work hard so that together we can achieve our desired goal of creating wealth for the nation and for ourselves."
And ZNFU vice-president, Graham Rae called for transport infrastructure and encouraging public, private investment in appropriate storage facilities in the country.
He said farmers were also worried about the rising cost of labour and the proposed electricity tariffs increases that range from 19 to 37 per cent.
"Farmers in Zambia have also lagged behind because of lack of technology to enhance productivity. Recognising this gap, the ZNFU has been riding on Information Communication and Technology (ICT) revolution to transmit timely information to farmers and have set up communication system for E-market information, the E-transport information and soon to be launched E-extension system," said Rae.
Meanwhile, Hotel and Catering Association of Zambia president Daniel Mweetwa said his organisation was committed to creating appropriate avenues of growth in Zambia in order to realise its vision.
He said the association also had over 650 operators countrywide with a labour force of between 35,000 to 40,000.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Scott has reiterated government's commitment to work with all members of parliament regardless of their political affiliation in order to serve Zambians.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on chief Mungaila of the lla people of Namwala on Saturday, Vice-President Scott said PF believed in working with all the members of parliament.
He said if PF does not work with the opposition, the Zambians would suffer and no one would benefit.
"Our working policy is to work with all MPs. In the House (Parliament) she (UPND Namwala member of parliament Moono Lubezhi) shouts at me trying to make me red by questioning me, but outside the House, we are friends and there is no problem," he said.
Vice-President Scott said the PF had laid a lot of value on chiefs and traditional establishments.
He said that his government was the first ever to have created a ministry of chiefs and traditional affairs because of the importance it attached to the traditional leaders.
"When you have a lot of different problems like cattle diseases, maize marketing, fertiliser input, it is only the local governance that is, the headmen, the chiefs who know the people that can organise these things; it's not us people who live in Lusaka, we don't know who the genuine citizens of Maala are, we are trying to build you up," he explained.
Chief Mukobela of Namwala thanked Vice-President Scott for officiating at this year's Shimunega traditional ceremony.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, QUALITY ASSURANCE, RODGERS MWEWA, ZNFU
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Farmers now being used as 'slaves' for raw materials - ZNFU
By Joan Chirwa-Ngoma
Sun 08 July 2012, 13:22 CAT
ZNFU says farmers are now being used as 'slaves' for raw materials following failed negotiations over cotton pricing for this marketing season.
During a full meeting facilitated by Vice-President Guy Scott which was attended by agriculture minister Emmanuel Chenda, ginners, the Cotton Association of Zambia and the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) at Cabinet Office on Friday afternoon, ginning companies only moved an inch higher from an initial offer price of K1,600 per kilogramme of seed cotton to K1,700, way below last year's price of around K3,200.
"Government's effort to intervene in the cotton price impasse has totally
collapsed in the face of the Republican Vice-President Dr Guy Scott and the
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Honourable Emmanuel Chenda," said ZNFU president Jervis Zimba who has strongly advocated for a better price for the crop which will benefit both the farmers and the out-grower companies.
"…The ZNFU and CAZ in good faith were ready to come down on their demands
considerably in order to safeguard the future of the cotton industry. However, the ginners only moved their position from K1, 600 to K1,700 per kg. Last year's price was K3,200 per kg. Farmers felt this was an insult."
He said the farmers were now been used "as slaves for raw materials in
Zambia, which is extremely unfortunate".
"With the negotiations having collapsed before the Republican Vice-President
and the Minister of Agriculture, farmers feel there is nowhere to run to resolve the price impasse," said Zimba. "Our advice to farmers is that at this stage there will be no further negotiations and farmers are expected to fend for themselves."
Farmers last year promised better prices during this marketing season compared to K3,200 offered in the previous season, a move that further increased the number of farmers around 300,000.
Several meetings have been held among stakeholders to resolve the differences which have, however, not yielded any positive outcome.
But ginning companies have been purchasing the crop at K1,600 per kilogramme despite the stalemate.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, JERVIS ZIMBA, ZNFU
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Farmers threaten to quit maize production
By Gift Chanda in Choma and Masuzyo Chakwe in Lusaka
Sat 26 May 2012, 12:43 CAT
FARMERS have threatened to abandon maize production next year should the government decide to reintroduce
grain levies. On Wednesday, local government minister Nkandu Luo reiterated that the government was looking at ways of reintroducing the grain levy which was removed in 2009.
The grain levy is a form of tax charged, normally by the councils, on anyone transporting grain from one district to another.
During a livestock field day held at Moomba farm in Choma on Thursday, farmers through their representative body, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU), strongly rejected intentions by the government to reintroduce grain levies.
ZNFU president Jervis Zimba who spoke on behalf of the farmers, said it was not necessary to bring back grain levies.
Zimba argued that grain levies were mere additional costs to farmers and when they are collected, benefits do not accrue to the agriculture sector.
"Bringing back the grain levy has serious repercussions on the agriculture sector," Zimba said amid applauds from farmers.
He wondered what impact the levies would have on the agriculture sector if they were to be introduced this time because they failed to benefit the sector before they were removed.
"What benefits did you farmers get when you were paying grain levies to the councils? All we used to hear was that the councilors have increased their allowances and are driving luxurious vehicles yet my grandmother in the village who is farming is sleeping in a grass thatched hut and walking to town on foot," he said.
"We farmers have got to be united in this country more than ever. The challenges ahead of us are too many. His excellence the President Mr Michael Sata said he wanted to put more money in the pockets of people, now these people the government want to remove the money again from farmers' pockets. I don't know why we farmers have got to keep suffering."
Zimba said reintroducing grain levies would just add to the numerous challenges farmers face which range from delayed payments by the Food Reserve Agency to exploitative prices by traders.
Agriculture deputy minister Brigadier General Benson Kapaya, who was officiating at the same event, ignored to comment on the concerns raised by the farmers but instead quickly detailed programmes the government was implementing to help revamp the livestock sector.
Brig Gen Kapaya also pledged government's collaboration with farmers, the ZNFU, in improving the livestock sector.
Meanwhile, the joint government investigations team has formally charged and arrested seven depot and co-operative employees for theft by agent contrary to section 272 and 278 of the Penal code, Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Joint investigations team public relations officer Namukolo Munyeme Kasumpa stated yesterday that Berlington Sikazwe, 60, and Fred Kalumbi, 50, both of Ntungo Village, chief Tafuna's area, Mbala district in their capacity as chairman and vice-chairman of Ntungo Co-operative, respectively, who are official buyers of maize had failed to account for 612 by 50 kilogramme bags of maize valued at K39, 780,000.
Kasumpa stated that in the same vein, a motor vehicle, Fuso Fighter Registration number ALC 2743 had been seized from Joseph Kalenga, chairman of Kavungo Co-operative in Mbala district in relation to theft of FRA maize at Kavungo depot.
She stated that Kalenga was currently on the run.
Kasumpa also stated that Steven Musinga Simukawanga, a depot buyer of the same Kavungo depot had also been charged with theft.
She stated that in the same maize scam, a transporter owning a company called Visi Transporters, engaged by FRA to transport maize from different depots in Mbala district had failed to account for 503 bags of maize valued at K32.6 million which were loaded from Kavungo and Kamuzwazi Satelite depots in Mbala district.
"Mr. Victor Siame aged 40 from Mwengo Village and owner Of Visi Transporters is said to have engaged his relatives by the names of Joachim Siame aged 42, Felix Siame aged 33 and James Siame aged 30 as drivers who diverted the 503 bags to a house number eight in messenger compound belonging to Mrs Clementina Nayame who is a sister to Siame. Of the 503 bags, a total of 94 bags of maize have been recovered by the investigations team," stated Kasumpa.
Labels: MAIZE, ZNFU
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Farmers call for review of fees on livestock
By Gift Chanda
Tue 24 Jan. 2012, 12:00 CAT
FARMERS have called for a review of fees and charges imposed on key stakeholders in the livestock sector. In its review of council fees and charges on the livestock sector in Zambia, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has observed that multiplicity of the fees and charges imposed by the council, the police and the veterinary department have significantly contributed to the sluggish growth of the livestock sector.
The union observed that famers and other key stakeholders incur huge costs as a result of the multiplicity of the fees and charges thereby hampering the growth and development of the sector.
"Despite its huge potential for growth, the development of the livestock sector in Zambia has been stifled by a number of barriers. One of the barriers hampering the growth and development of this sector relates to the multiplicity of the fees in the sector," the union stated in a recently released report.
"The government should streamline the different fees and charges imposed on livestock producers, traders and processors to enhance the competiveness of the livestock sector in line with the objectives of the primary sector reform programmes."
The farmers' union further recommended that the fees should not be used as revenue measure and be minimal for the purposes of covering administrative costs in respect of the services rendered to farming communities by local authorities.
"It is plausible that the size and multiplicity of livestock related fees by different government departments in Zambia has implications on the competiveness of the livestock sector," he said.
"In addition to these fees, livestock traders and producers pay other taxes such as excise duty and value added tax. These fees increase the overall cost of doing business in the livestock."
According to the union, stakeholders in the sector pay a minimal K20,000 anti-theft fee for moving a unit animals, veterinary fee for moving cattle and chicken out of town at about K5,000 per animal.
Other charges include meat inspection fees paid to the local councils, dry Kapenta levy, company charges on fresh fish, annual charges for health permit, fees for food handling certificate, fees for fresh fish certificate of origin and zonal charges, among others.
Labels: CATTLE, ZNFU
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Chongwe farmers complain over lack of payments
By Gift Chanda in Chongwe
Fri 25 Nov. 2011, 13:20 CAT
FARMERS in Chongwe yesterday complained of not receiving payments for maize sold to the Food Reserve Agency last farming season despite the government releasing the funds.
During the launch of the ZNFU/Zanaco LIMA credit scheme in Chongwe, Chongwe District Farmers' Association chairperson Derranoh Choonga disclosed that some farmers who sold maize to FRA during the last marketing season have to date not been paid.
Choonga requested the government's intervention in the matter so that farmers could be paid and continue producing.
"Some of our farmers have not yet received their money for their maize that they sold to FRA," Choonga said.
"Therefore, we request the government to intervene to ensure that all farmers are paid as earlier as possible to enable them buy their inputs for this farming season."
But agriculture minister Emmanuel Chenda, who was officiating at the same function and could not give reasons as to why some farmers in the area had not been paid, said he did not understand why the farmers had not been paid when the government recently released the funds.
"I must say that am saddened to learn that there are some farmers that have not been paid here in Chongwe," Chenda said.
"I do not know any reason as to why this should be the situation because your government, the Patriotic Front government, released all the money that was due to the farmers in Chongwe more than two weeks ago."
He promised to follow up the matter.
Meanwhile, Chenda called on the private sector, especially commercial banks, to introduce financial service packages that could help farmers access cheaper credit and affordable short and medium term inputs and asset finance.
"The situation of continued limited access to credit and other financing services by our small scale farmers need to be changed," Chenda said.
"Government efforts alone will not be enough to end the current near absence of credit and other financial services to our small scale in particular in the agriculture sector."
He said the private sector should come on board and assist the government.
Chenda said it was pleasing that ZNFU and Zanaco had risen to the challenge by coming up with a farmer led private LIMA credit scheme as one way of addressing the current limited access to credit and productivity enhancing inputs for farmers.
The LIMA credit scheme is a ZNFU-Zanaco driven initiative that allows farmers access credit for inputs on a collateral basis.
Farmers pay up to 50 per cent of the total cost of inputs before the loan is provided and pay the remaining 50 per cent after the marketing season is over.
The scheme has an insurance cover which cushions both the farmer and the bank by 50 per cent against perils such as floods, drought and fire.
ZNFU first vice-president Dave Gordon said the scheme has so far received overwhelming response from farmers since it was introduced.
He disclosed that the loan portfolio under the scheme this year had been increased to K20 billion from K600 million provided three years ago when the scheme was just introduced.
"There has been a massive increase in demand for this programme from farmers countrywide. This is mainly because it serves to supplement the government efforts under the Farmer Input support Programme (FISP)," he said.
"We are well aware that not all farmers can assess the government FISP. In some cases, the FISP may not cater adequately for all the input requirements of a farmer hence private sector led initiatives such as the Lima credit scheme become the only sustainable alternative."
Gordon said the union hopes to review the scheme in future to fund other crops beyond maize.
He also disclosed that the expansion of the programme to cater for other crops has been limited by lack of availability of certified seeds.
"We therefore urge seed companies to expand seed production," said Gordon.
Labels: CHONGWE, CREDIT FACILITIES, ZNFU
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Government dependency on domestic borrowing worries ZNFU
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 17 Nov. 2011, 14:00 CAT
ZNFU fears that the government's plan to
finance 21.1 per cent of the 2012 national budget via domestic borrowings is likely to counter intentions of freeing more liquidity to local entrepreneurs. The Zambia National Farmers Union stated that it would have preferred to see the government mobilise money via broadening the tax revenue base.
The influential union of commercial and smallholder farmers in the country stated that the proposed government borrowing of 1.3 per cent of the GDP was likely to "crowd out" as commercial banks will find it attractive to lend to the government than to the agriculture sector because of the perceived risk of the sector.
"The proposed government borrowing from the domestic market of about 21.1 per cent of the total budget will create competition with the private sector on domestic borrowing," ZNFU stated.
"Government should consider broadening the tax base as opposed to resorting to domestic borrowing in the long term so that resources from the domestic market can be freed to the private sector. This will help stimulate private sector borrowing and investment so as to create the much-needed employment and further revenue for the government."
ZNFU supported the government's efforts to help reduce the cost of finance after it reduced corporate tax by commercial banks to standard 35 per cent from the previous 40 per cent on the backdrop of the reduction in statutory reserve ratios which would create an extra K700 billion in commercial banks to lend out.
ZNFU also stated that there was need to address the import duty on agriculture inputs and zero-rate value added tax on agriculture products and also remove livestock levies hindering the development of the livestock sector.
The farmers body stated that the fuel levy paid by the agriculture sector, which they said doesn't serve its purpose, also needed to be removed.
And ZNFU applauded the PF government for allocating about K 1.7 trillion of its inaugural K27. 7 trillion towards the agriculture sector, a jump from K1.2 trillion in 2011.
ZNFU, however, stated that the 2012 agriculture allocation of six per cent was still short of government commitment of increasing agriculture sector allocation to 10 per cent in line with the Maputo declaration and under the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to propel the agriculture sector to higher heights and contribute to inclusive growth.
ZNFU stated that it was "enthralled" that the 2012 national budget recognized constraints facing the agriculture sector and proposed strategies of ensuring that key factors affecting the sector are addressed.
"Issues raised which are of importance to the Union include the fact that the agriculture sector still suffers from low productivity, is still rain dependent, lacks appropriate and affordable breeding stocks, low value addition, and is hindered by poor marketing and low investments," stated ZNFU.
Labels: DOMESTIC DEBT, ZNFU
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ZNFU hails govt policy on agriculture sector
By Gift Chanda and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 20 Oct. 2011, 08:20 CAT
ZNFU says President Michael Sata's pronouncement that he will
make a dent on weak infrastructure in water harvesting should help to exhume the much touted
K37 billion irrigation fund which sunk into oblivion four years ago. Jervis Zimba said the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) was happy with the number of positive pronouncements made by President Sata in his inaugural address to Parliament last Friday.
During his address to Parliament, President Sata announced sweeping policy reforms to help boost the performance of the domestic agriculture sector as the PF government attempts to prioritise investments in appropriate water harvesting technologies to make water available to farmers for irrigation all year round would, reducing the cost of borrowing in the country and transforming the maize tailored FISP.
Reacting to the Presidential speech, Zimba said President Sata's address focused on fundamental issues which, if implemented, would chart the course of the performance of the agriculture sector to greater prosperity for all Zambians.
"The union welcomes the fact that government will promote pro-poor growth and that agriculture development will be one of the four core development programmes earmarked to deliver this growth," Zimba said.
The government had in the past attempted to establish the irrigation fund with initial seed money of K37 billion which could not be distributed via commercial banks.
The fund was later transferred to Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission despite protests from local farmers before it died a natural death.
Zimba, however, said benchmarks should be set to frequently monitor and evaluate progress on policies the PF government has pledged to implement.
Labels: JERVIS ZIMBA, MICHAEL SATA, ZNFU
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Flood market with local wheat, Cottan urges farmers
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Tue 11 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT
PETER Cottan says Zambian farmers should flood the local market to depress wheat prices which have jumped 60 per cent since the last quarter of 2010. And Cottan says he is shocked by ZNFU’s call for his arrest over his statement on escalating wheat prices in the country. Wheat prices have surged
to US $530 per tonne from US $320 at the end of the harvest period last October.Cottan, the managing director of National Milling Corporation, said owing to the recent projection of about 200, 000 metric tonnes of the recently harvested wheat, the commodity should fetch US $450 per tonne instead of the current spot price of US $530. He said although wheat prices have gone up by 60 per cent, the price of flour was not expected to rise by the corresponding margin because the final consumers could not contain such a price hike.
Cottan said the current surge in wheat prices on the local market could be attributed to farmers hoarding the commodity to force an increase in price.
He said recent indications from Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) that there was no way the country could be talking of a shortage when wheat harvest was done only 60 days ago should be justified by local farmers flooding the commodity on the market.
“My call to the commercial farmers through the Zambia National Farmers Union is that they should flood the market with the wheat so that our members will purchase the wheat so that we stabilise the food and flour prices,” said Cottan who is also the chairman of the Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ).
He claimed that millers and the bakers were absorbing the current high wheat prices which he said were too high to be absorbed by the final consumer of flour products.
Cottan said wheat prices should be reduced if there was a bumper harvest as was the case with maize in last harvest season.
“When you have a surplus, prices should track export parity just as maize has done, and when you have a deficit, the price tracks import parity,” he said. “But when you have prices not coming down when you have a surplus, then it means there is something wrong.”
And Cottan chided ZNFU’s calls for his arrest over his statement on escalating prices of wheat in the country.
Cottan, who also announced that NMC had hiked prices of flour by about K5 000 following the surge in wheat prices, said he was shocked that ZNFU called for his arrest following his statement.
“I believe that I have been a good corporate citizen in the country, I have been serving for the last 23 years and I took this position as MAZ chairman because I wanted to give back to the nation,” he said.
Cottan further said there was need for all industry players to work towards this Friday’s stakeholders meeting to determine the current wheat position in the country.
Labels: KARTELS, PETER COTTAN, WHEAT, ZNFU
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ZNFU calls for reversal of GMO policy
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 25 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE ZNFU is proposing that Zambia should embrace genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to improve productivity of certain crops.
Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba said calls for a stark reversal of the stance taken by the country a few years ago follows low competitiveness of the local agriculture sector.
“Nearly four years ago, the government made a strong stance against GMOs. We, however, now believe that time has come to open the discussions on GMOs more so now that bio-safety regulation board has been set up under the Ministry of Science and Technology where ZNFU is ably represented,” Zimba said during the launch of the 2010/2011 agricultural planting season held at Mweetwa farm in Mumbwa on Tuesday.
“While cautiously mindful of the public perception about GMOs, as a country we must not be left out particularly in exploring production-enhancing technologies which can be tried in Cotton production to start with.”
Zimba said GMOs could also help to improve productivity of small-scale farming and make a dent on rural poverty.
“In other countries where bio-technology, especially for cotton, has been used, our small-scale farmers are able to produce 10 times more than our current levels of production with less inputs, implying less production cost leading to huge profits to our small-scale farmers,” said Zimba.
The government banned the production and consumption of genetically modified crops, saying this would impact negatively on the country’s agricultural potential.
Labels: GMO, JERVIS ZIMBA, ZNFU
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Poor grain storage worries ZNFU
By Joseph Mwenda
Fri 12 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
ZNFU says it is extremely worried that poor storage facilities for the record bumper harvest will result in a disaster following the onset of the rains.
In an interview yesterday, Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba said the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) would have avoided the damage of purchased maize if it had considered the caution from the union which projected a record harvest last year by planning in advance.
“As a union, we are extremely worried. We are worried about how our grain is being stored. I think there is need to review FRA marketing, so that excess maize should be sold outside Zambia immediately,” he said.
Zimba said the FRA was notified of this year’s harvest projection but that the advice was not heeded.
“We knew in March last year that there was going to be a bumper harvest this year but as usual, government will never react until the crop forecast,” he said.
Zimba said by July this year, FRA should have had the money ready for maize purchases instead of waiting until the farmers had harvested their crops.
“The matter is very worrying and any further delay as we go into the rainy season, it will be a very sad situation,” Zimba said.
“The rains have started and the next challenge we are so extremely worried about is the transportation of the grain from satellite depots to the holding depots. Some areas rain heavily, so when the rains intensify, they might not be able to reach such areas to transport the grain.”
Zimba further urged the FRA to relax transportation rules and allow even small trucks to help move grain to safe storage facilities.
He also said FRA should honour its promise by paying off all farmers for the crops supplied by November 15.
“They promised that they would finish paying all the farmers by November 15, so we want them to honour their promise so that the farmers are paid on time,” said Zimba.
“We also want to warn the provincial and district agriculture coordinators to ensure that no farmer is discriminated in terms of payment for those who supplied maize to the agency and also in terms of distribution of farming inputs for the next farming season.”
Labels: FRA, JERVIS ZIMBA, MAIZE, STORAGE, ZNFU
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Rupiah to open farmers' union congress
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 07 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT
President Rupiah Banda is today expected to open the 105th Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) Congress at Lusaka’s Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
According to a statement from State House special assistant for press and public relations, Dickson Jere, President Banda will be opening the ZNFU Congress shortly after the country witnessed agricultural success last season through a maize bumper harvest.
“President Banda will deliver a speech this Thursday congratulating the ZNFU’s objectives and pledging his government’s wholehearted support for the continued growth and economic development of the farming sector,” Jere said in a statement.
“…the event will celebrate the great agricultural successes enjoyed by Zambia in recent years and will call on farmers, suppliers and government to work together to ensure a productive and healthy future for Zambia.”
He said the farmers’ congress whose theme is ‘Productivity, Competitiveness and Market Development' has attracted over 600 delegates from the agriculture industry countrywide.
Zambia secured bumper harvest, producing 2.78 million tonnes of maize indicating a surplus of more than one million tonnes.
And the president says that the theme that his adopted this year is a reflection of governments agriculture policies.
Labels: DICKSON JERE, RUPIAH BANDA, ZNFU
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ZNFU reckons 2011 budget a chance to tackle hopelessness
By Mutale Kapekele
Tue 28 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE 2011 national budget provides the government with an opportunity to address the despondency that has beset the agriculture sector, the Zambia National Farmers Union has observed.
In their submissions for the 2011 national budget, the union observed that it was time for the government to make long-lasting and favourable decisions for the agriculture sector.
“The Union is convinced that this is an opportune time for the government to take far-reaching decisions that will forever change the Zambian agricultural sector for the better and achieve the shared view of economic growth through competitiveness and diversification,” ZNFU observed.
In its 2011 budget submissions, the ZNFU has observed that the agriculture sector has remained uncompetitive due high production costs.
“Lack of competitiveness has become an eminent threat to any further expansion in agriculture production because the surplus that has been produced cannot land in export markets at a competitive price,” the ZNFU stated.
“The main reason for this is that farmers in general (small, medium or large scale) engaged in production of maize or other crops and livestock (dairy, beef, pigs, poultry etc) all buy inputs at retail commercial prices and have to survive in the business of farming without subsidies.”
ZNFU observed that production costs had risen to unsustainable levels despite consumer price resistance on the local market that saw farmers getting sub-economic prices.
“This is one of the contributing factors to farm liquidations and perpetuation of poverty in the rural areas,” the ZNFU stated. “In the export markets, products are uncompetitive compared to products sourced from other countries. Therefore, while there is desire to diversify the economy through agriculture, it is eminent that this will only come about if production costs are reduced across the board.”
ZNFU is demanding value added tax (VAT) exemption for all agriculture products, the removal of import duty on electric delivery vehicles and livestock levies among other things.
It has proposed an increase in VAT to 16.5 per cent for the country to realise the lost revenue if agriculture products get the zero rating.
ZNFU is also demanding an increase in tax for edible oils to encourage local production.
It also called for the introduction of duty on mobile phone airtime and urged the government to target expenditure for the agriculture sector at programmes that support private sector growth “in line with the free market principles.”
Labels: 2011 BUDGET, VAT, ZNFU
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Govt owes farmers K400bn
By Moses Kuwema, Christopher Miti and Henry Chibulu
Sun 12 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
GOVERNMENT owes small-scale farmers over K400 billion for the maize that has been sold to the Food Reserve Agency, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba has disclosed.
And unpaid maize farmers last Friday stormed the Chipata district commissioner’s office to register their disappointment over Food Reserve Agency (FRA)’s delay to pay them for the maize supplied.
Meanwhile, UPND Magoye member of parliament Ben Mweemba has expressed fears that thousands of bags of maize piled outside Food Reserve Agency (FRA) storage sheds may go to waste in his constituency because of the government’s failure to provide adequate storage facilities.
During the Mkushi Farmers Association annual general meeting on Friday, Zimba appealed to the small-scale farmers to exercise patience.
“…I want to appeal to the Ministry of Finance to ensure that this specific amount of money is with FRA so that FRA pays transporters to move the maize to holding depots or storage facilities, at the moment all the maize which is across the country is in satellite depots and if you don’t move that maize from satellite depots to holding depots most of the maize around will be soaked,” he said.
Zimba said with the way things were moving in terms of maize marketing, the country was likely to experience a serious reduction in maize production next year.
“Some of these problems we have now have been caused by the Ministry of Agriculture for not speeding up the process of lifting the export ban.
Because when you have an export market it means we are stabilising the production, you know that there is market out there, the local millers will pay the right price then the exports will go.
We might be okay as a nation with this surplus, next year we have no problem because we have something to eat but come around 2012, we might see imports coming through…,” he said.
And Zimba has said ZNFU was not happy with the way the millers were playing games with regard to the Statutory Instrument (SI) on wheat imports.
Zimba said the millers’ insistence on lifting the ban on imports of wheat was a direct challenge to President Rupiah Banda who issued the directive to have the SI in place.
And the farmers in Chipata protested at the district commissioner’s office over non-payment of money by FRA for the maize sold to the agency.
The farmers who were drawn from different areas, with the majority being from Mgubudu in Chipangali Constituency, said they were tired of unfulfilled government promises as regards payment.
One of the farmers Gershom Phiri said it was unfortunate that they sold their maize in July and that they had not yet been paid up to now.
“What is disappointing is that these people from government promised to pay us after 14 days but the 14 days elapsed. I don’t know whether we didn’t get them clearly; maybe they meant after 14 months, or what? We are here to get our money,” Phiri said.
He said government should be clear whether it had failed to help farmers.
Phiri said he sold 306 by 50 kilogramme bags of maize to the FRA. Another farmer Mark Zulu said the government was not helping farmers by delaying payment for the maize they sold to FRA.
“The promise was that they were to pay us after 14 days but now we are talking of one month and some weeks. You know we need to pay school fees for our children while others have no uniform. So this is very disappointing,” Zulu said.
He said the delay to pay them would affect their performance in next farming season.
Zulu said the farmers sensed that it was not going to be possible to be paid on Friday when the FRA agents, the District Farmers Association, refused to give them the GRN’s (Goods Received Notes).
Later, Zulu had a closed-door meeting with farmers and the district commissioner which lasted close to two hours. One of the farmers who attended the meeting said the district commissioner promised them that they would be paid their money.
“I think he was just cooling us down because despite what has been said in the meeting, we haven’t been paid our money. But he assured us something, we will wait and see what happens,” the source said.
Before going into the meeting, district commissioner Moses Nyirenda, who did not expect reporters, said he would only talk to reporters after the meeting.
And Mweemba said in Mazabuka last week that all storage facilities were full, forcing FRA to pile up the maize outside the sheds. He said FRA officials in the district had failed to provide satisfactory answers to him on the measures the government had put in place to protect the grain from being soaked, realising that the rainy season was approaching.
Mweemba said there was no cause for the government to celebrate the bumper harvest because once the rains start, all the maize would be destroyed due to lack of adequate storage facilities.
He also took a swipe at the FRA for delaying to pay farmers who supplied maize to the agency about three months ago.
He revealed that information he obtained from FRA had established that some farmers may be paid their money in January next year because the government had no funds for the marketing exercise.
Mweemba said it was unfair for the government to mistreat farmers by not paying them on time because they needed to use the same money to purchase inputs for the next farming season.
He has since urged government to give farmers promissory notes that will enable them to buy inputs from suppliers because subjecting them to waiting for next year would disadvantage them.
Mweemba observed that delaying to pay farmers would frustrate their desire to continue growing maize.
Labels: BEN MWEEMBA, DEBT, FRA, JERVIS ZIMBA, ZNFU
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Solving problems in agriculture requires mature leadership - ZNFU
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Kafue
Mon 06 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has observed that solving the current problems in the country’s agriculture sector requires “mature and sober leadership.” And ZNFU has advocated that Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) be transferred to Ministry of Commerce as part of rescuing the beleaguered fertiliser manufacturing plant.
The agriculture sector currently faces a number of challenges, epitomised by bottlenecks in the present maize marketing season, which has led to most farmers being left to the mercy of ‘briefcase buyers’ owing to limited funding by the government to Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
Key institutions like FRA and NCZ have continued to operate without management boards for close to two years despite key stakeholders having submitted proposed names of board members to agriculture minister Peter Daka.
Addressing workers and management of NCZ after touring the plant in Kafue on Thursday, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said the local farmers had lost confidence in the current leadership at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Zimba said the local agriculture sector was currently in problems.
He complained that most small-scale farmers were getting a raw deal from the current maize marketing, thus leaving them vulnerable to briefcase buyers who were buying a 50 kilogramme (kg) bag of maize at less than K30,000 compared to FRA’s K65,000.
“There is a problem at Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. President Rupiah Banda has provided leadership but at Ministry of Agriculture, their priority is somewhere else,” Zimba said.
“The fact that there are no boards at NCZ and FRA speaks volumes of the problems at Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Agriculture requires mature people in leadership with sober minds because here we are always dealing with human lives… they have to be careful.
They send wrong signals because today they say this, today they say this, tomorrow they say that… agriculture sector requires sober and mature leadership.”
And ZNFU said the problems facing NCZ were compounded by the wrong ministry under which it had been placed.
Zimba said Ministry of Agriculture lacked corporate ethics to manage a company profitably and in a sustainable way.
“Our debate is whether NCZ is under the right ministry. Let’s face things head-on,” said Zimba.
“We want this to be analysed. The reason is that we want this matter to be analysed and find ways of bringing on board private partnership to find a way of making you NCZ operate profitably and sustainably in the future. And in this case, we call on ZDA Zambia Development Agency to rise to the occasion and provide leadership on this matter.”
Earlier, NCZ managing director Richard Soko said the state-owned fertiliser manufacturing company had already completed manufacturing the 20,000 metric tonnes basal dressing fertilisers it was allocated under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
Soko said allowing NCZ to deliver basal dressing fertilisers for one season could enable it to solve all the problems the beleaguered company was currently facing.
“If all that 89,000 metric tonnes of basal dressing fertilisers was awarded to NCZ, and there is no reason why not because we have the capacity to produce, would generate revenues in excess of K300 billion for NCZ,” said Soko.
“With that kind of that revenue, we will be able to sustain ourselves and not run back to the government…progressively rehabilitate the plant and ask for additional funds from anywhere. The only decision we are asking is that they award the whole contract of D compound to NCZ.”
Labels: AGRICULTURE, JERVIS ZIMBA, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATIVES, PETER DAKA, ZNFU
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ZNFU refutes claims of soya bean shortage
By Mutale Kapekele
Thu 02 Sep. 2010, 14:40 CAT
THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has refuted claims by livestock farmers that the country has a shortage of soya beans, a primary ingredient for the production of animal feed.
According to a statement from ZNFU, the union met with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to discuss the matter, after which it was concluded that the country had sufficient soya supply.
“Following concerns reaching the Ministry of Agriculture that there may not be enough soya beans to meet local demand and lack of maize bran for livestock farmers, the ZNFU held a consultation meeting on Tuesday August 24, 2010 with all the key stakeholders, namely, traders, processors, farmers and MACO,” the ZNFU stated.
“The meeting concluded that there is enough soya beans to meet domestic requirements with a slight surplus for export as well as room to export soya cake that has no demand locally.”
The union observed that there was a need for the price of soya beans to be adjusted upwards to discourage exports of the commodity.
“It was also agreed (at the meeting) that the local price of soya beans needed to rise to encourage sales and diminish any prospects of exports,” the union stated.
“With regards to maize bran, millers reported that maize bran was in short supply while wheat bran was in abundance. It was then agreed that for maize bran, priority should be given to meeting local demand by reducing on exports while export of wheat bran could continue.”
The ZNFU stated that in future, the domestic requirement for maize bran would be established through a study.
Labels: SOYA, ZNFU
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ZNFU reveals interference from millers on wheat import ban
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 27 July 2010, 04:01 CAT
From left to right, Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) security unit chairman Charles Coxe, deputy commissioner of police Emmanuel Chileshe and ZNFU president Jervis Zimba listening to CMR farms of Kabwe managing director Sara Ashworth during the visit to her farm on Wednesday. - Picture by Moses Kuwema ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba has disclosed that there are people who are fighting to have the ban on wheat imports lifted. And Chimsoro Farms proprietor Constain Chilala has said only non Zambians can push for the reversal of the Statutory Instrument on wheat imports.
Speaking when he addressed farmers in Mkushi last week, Zimba said the country did not need any imports on wheat because the crop yield had not reduced. He said once the imports on wheat were allowed, Zambian farmers should forget about selling their wheat.
“This battle was fought, we said there is no need for wheat imports but again we are aware that the millers are working together with some directors at the Ministry of Agriculture to try and remove this SI. They started last year again now we are seeing this is what is happening…and because of the annoyance among the millers and some directors at the Ministry of Agriculture they are using a fake association just to be attacking ZNFU to say this is not right… its not correct we have to look at the bigger picture of farmers and what is happening,” he said.
He said Zambia was the only country in the southern Africa region, or perhaps in Africa, which could feed itself in any commodity but that there were people who were bent on destroying that potential.
“Some two weeks ago, one miller wrote to the minister to say you ban all exports of soya beans… now we have a bit of excess in terms of soya beans but what they want is to make sure the prices are suppressed and they pay the yields to the farmers for nothing...We have told them there is no need of writing letters to the minister, write your letters to the president of ZNFU who will then call a stakeholders' meeting and determine how much should go for exports, we did it last year,” he said.
And Zimba said farmers should this year brace themselves for hard times because of the commodity prices which he said were not good.
“Whatever you have produced no one knows where that maize is going to go so you are hammered with commodity prices. We need to put our heads together, for the issue of commodity prices in the country we are completely at cross roads. If you look at the briefings we sent you, all of you must have seen how the prices have dropped in a couple of months be it wheat, be it soya beans,” he said.
Zimba said the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had totally lost direction, adding that the continued lack of a board at the agency was a source of concern for the farmers.
“They FRA keep interfering on the market at the wrong time all the time, you remember in the beginning of the year we had early maize to be taken on the market, most of it was stuck, today some of you have sold it for a song. There is nowhere in the world where you have a huge output of crops and the minister is delaying or failing to announce the board when he has got the names on the table, we can’t allow a situation like that. Right now as am talking there is an advert in the paper where the FRA is saying they have about 160,000 metric tonnes and they have just put a huge advert that traders should bid for it to try and see if they can buy it for exports…they have got no capacity as FRA to monitor whether that maize is going for exports or not. For heaven’s sake why can’t FRA themselves not secure the export market?” he wondered. “They have been telling us that they have secured almost a million tonnes of exports, then why advertise locally to allow other people to export it when FRA themselves have got the capacity to sell it, so as farmers we are braced for hard times this year its not going to be a good road in terms of the maize and we know the cost of production is high, how do farmers sell their commodity below the cost of production?”
Zimba said if the situation was allowed, the millers and traders would again start playing around with the prices of the commodity.
Zimba said the farmers were grateful to the government for finding money to buy maize but that it was unfortunate that the funds had not yet been released.
“We are now coming towards the end of July and you know when you are buying commodity under collateral management it takes long time meaning that they have got to buy and then after two to three weeks the banks have got to verify how much maize, is it true, the location, so for a farmer to get his money, we will be looking at may be another three weeks and who knows with the way the FRA plays games it may be a month, so these millers would say we have no choice but to keep buying and dispatching 42,000 and so forth. So we have a very serious problem at hand regarding the maize marketing season this year and I call it the national crisis,” he said.
Zimba said there was need for a serious intervention by the government because officials in the Ministry of Agriculture were reluctant to implement the presidential directive on exports.
“Again I met the president before the end of the year I said look, can we try and look at the exports to Democratic Republic of Congo DRC, the DRC problem we have is that we keep shutting the door, open it up, shut it...so the best thing we can do is can we have these quotas, agreed quotas between the DRC and in February the millers, ZNFU, grain traders we established a list of these quotas we should be able to be given to DRC agreed and they were given to them, to date as I am telling you ministry of agriculture has said no we cannot do that we shall give it to the joint permanent commission I think this is between the Copperbelt Province and the DRC, what a joke!
“We believe the Ministry of Agriculture is totally in reverse gear its like nobody seems to know whether we are going forward or backwards, the only time we see these Ministry of Agriculture officials very active is already now they know that they have got a serious crisis of the maize, they are already jumping talking about the Fertiliser Support Programme FSP programme that this year we are giving 900,000 farmers, they are more excited because this is where they cut deals. No one is interested about the FSP now what every farmer is interested in now is how he is going to secure his maize.”
And Chilala said the implementation of the SI was to protect the production of wheat in the country.
“The production of wheat is so high now to a level where we are able to feed even Katanga Province in the DRC, now if someone at the ministry decides to go against the presidential directive or advise against the presidential directive, that person is not Zambian he should be one of those who were involved in the importation of wheat which we heard in 2008 and 2009 where they brought 30,000 metric tonnes during our harvesting season,” Chilala said.
He said millers had become like briefcase business men because they did not want to buy the crop on time.
“They want us to keep the crop after growing it and then they want it for nothing. And unless this is resolved between the millers and the farmers it will see farmers now stop investing in wheat, they will start saying no investment in wheat is very expensive it requires you to buy centre pivots, irrigation equipment and those are very expensive,” he said.
And Chilala said a crop surplus without well organised marketing programmes put people into new and bigger problems.
“As a country we are able to produce these crops by the farmers, but farmers are now suffering that they can't get this crop to the market to process it so that the Zambians can eat it, one time I read in the newspaper where the Minister of Agriculture was saying we have got a bumper harvest now, so the food can go down but he forgot that that food costs money to produce, how does he expect that food to walk into homes as cheap as he was anticipating it to because someone spent money to grow the food he must sell it at a reasonable price for him to be able to grow a new crop this year,” said Chilala.
Labels: CHARLES COXE, COSTAIN CHILALA, JERVIS ZIMBA, MAIZE, MILLERS, ZNFU
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ZNFU accuses FRA of being insincere on maize purchase
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sat 26 June 2010, 04:00 CAT
ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) executive director Ndambo Ndambo has accused the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) of being economical with the truth in saying that the purchase of maize has delayed to start due to the purported moisture content.
During the Chipata District Farmers Association (CDFA) annual general meeting at Crystal Springs Hotel on Thursday, Ndambo said the issue of moisture content was not the correct position that had prompted FRA to delay in opening the maize marketing season.
“Last year FRA announced that it would start buying maize on 1st June. What we saw was that they started buying in July, this year again FRA announced that they would start buying on the 1st May but it appears they would start buying in July. Having worked for farmers I know that farmers are very intelligent people. I have never seen such an intelligent cadre of people and I know they know why FRA had delayed,” Ndambo said.
“They know the correct position as regards to the problems FRA is facing in maize marketing. If the market is not opening, the people are going to sell to briefcase businessmen at low prices.
So FRA should be sincere by telling us the truth because we in the union believe that the issue of moisture content is not the correct position. I think now FRA should just tell us because we know that they don’t just have the money. FRA should not be economical with the truth.”
Ndambo called on the government to help add a voice so that other players in the maize marketing sector could provide good prices.
Earlier Chipata district commissioner Moses Nyirenda said the government could not stop other maize buyers from buying the crop because the market was liberalised.
Nyirenda encouraged farmers not to rely entirely on one crop but to grow other crops as well. Provincial FRA coordinator Godfrey Munyoro said FRA had already started dispatching marketing requisites to various marketing centres.
Munyoro urged farmers to make sure they clean their maize before taking it to the market so that they do not spend much time at the satellite depot.
He said the maize moisture content was still high in Chipata district.
“Our current moisture content in Chipata is 13.2, Chama they have already reached the recommended 12.5 because it’s about 12.3 now so we have already started buying in Chama. The moisture content is relatively low in Lundazi at 12.8, Chadiza 14.3, Katete 13.4, Sinda 12.7, Petauke 12.8 and Nyimba 13.4. In my opinion I think in the next two weeks, we will be able to start buying,” Munyoro said.
And Eastern Province permanent secretary Eularia Syamujaye said the government appreciated the partnership with CDFA, whose overall aim was to address the structural causes of poverty, to increase food production, eradicate poverty and promote good governance in Chipata.
CDFA coordinator Virgil Malambo said the association managed to implement activities as planned in the annual work plan.
Labels: CHIPATA DISTRICT FARMERS ASSOCIATION, EULARIA SYAMUJAYE, FRA, MOSES NYIRENDA, NDAMBO NDAMBO, ZNFU
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