IT’S A MOCKERY
…K340 maize floor price a slap in the face of farmers – FDD
-
Chibuye says the variance of K10 between the two farming seasons is not good for the
By Thandizo Banda
THE opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has described the K340 maize floor price as a slap in the face of farmers.
Spokesperson Anthony Chibuye said in an interview yesterday the United Party for National Development (UPND) government had failed to reward farmers hard work with a reasonable price.
Making the announcement in Lusaka yesterday, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) board chairperson Suresh Desai said the floor price was arrived at following wide consultation.
“The increase by K10 to K340 per 50 kilogram bag of maize this year from last year’s K330 is very insignificant given the high cost of fertiliser and seed, including labour,” Chibuye said.
He said there was a need for a solid marketing policy for crops such as maize, which would guarantee a steady price prior to the harvest.
“The much hyped bumper harvest recorded by the county this year has been recorded at a cost. Government should have noticed that the price of agro inputs such as fertiliser and other implements have been high in the 2024/2025 farming season. Basal dressing ranged between K960and K1,050 per 50kg as compared to top dressing which ranged between K860 and K970 for a 50kg,” Chibuye said.
He said the K340 price as announced yesterday was therefore a slap in the face of the farmers.
“The three-hundred-and-forty kwacha price does not reflect the balance between the need to give back farmers value for their hard work, plus the high cost of production on one hand and the need for stable prices. The K340 price for 2024/2025 is so demotivating to our farmers especially that last farming season the price was K330, which was also lower. We expected government to make a reasonable upward adjustment just as many experts have predicted,” Chibuye said.
He said the variance of K10 between the two farming seasons was not good for the farmers.
“This kind of governance in the agricultural sector by the UPND is pathetic especially that the UPND has not helped our farmers so much when it came to farming inputs. This price will also see farmers look for alternative markets where a good price could be gotten,” Chibuye said.
He said the market would remain volatile as government would fail to control even issues of smuggling.
“Government should have offered our hardworking farmers a more motivating price of at least K430 so that more and more people are encouraged to venture into agriculture while those already in the business are given value for their hard work and investment,” he said.
Chibuye challenged the UPND administration to immediately revise the price and offer the farmers a more competitive price.
