FRA to review maize price - Katambo

THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is to review its maize price announced last week to align it with real market value, says Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo.

Mr Katambo said his ministry had called for a consultative meeting with all major stakeholders including farmers’ representatives to ensure the floor price of maize was agreed upon by all stakeholders

He was surprised when Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba took to criticising the announced K65 floor price per 50 kilogramme of maize as being low and exploitative yet they were part of the consultations carried out by the FRA on behalf of Government.

“We called for a consultative meeting which was an important aspect of fixing a floor price after listening to views of all key players in the sector.

“ZNFU should be honest enough because they were consulted on the FRA price. The ZNFU president did not attend the meeting but they sent representation, their public relations manager Mr Kevin Kaleyi,” Mr Katambo said.

The minister said that Government would soon review the recently announced K65 maize floor price following President Edgar Lungu’s concerns.

“But I am delighted that FRA has agreed to review the K65 floor price in consultation with other stakeholders,” he said.

President Lungu recently called on the FRA and concerned stakeholders to review the K65 maize floor price which he said would not benefit the farmers looking at the high production costs.

Last week FRA announced that the 2018 maize floor price of K65, K5 more than the 2017 one which has been described as too low and exploitation of the farmers.

Some people have criticized FRA for poor projection of the maize buying price which they said was way below the production cost considering the high cost of fertilizer among other determinants.