‘FRA MUST HEED LUNGU’S ADVICE’
IMISAKA Farmers Committee chairperson in Ndola Joseph Malambo has appealed to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to heed President Edgar Lungu’s advice to adjust the maize floor price XpZarGs
Mr Malambo said the K65 per 50 kg bag of maize was very low considering the high cost of production. Reacting to President Lungu` s statement calling for the revision of the maize price, Mr Malambo said FRA needed to carefully consider the cost of production before fixing the floor price.
He proposed that FRA should peg the 50kg bag of maize at least K75, describing the prefered K65 as exploitation of the vulnerable farmers.
“The price of maize at K65 is very low because farmers invest a lot in their farm produce with fertiliser, chemicals and much more, hence it is very unfair for them to be paid K65 per 50 kg of maize,” he said.
Mr Malambo said most farmers in the 2017-2018 farming season had no cultivated maize due to the same challenge and opted to grow soya beans instead.
He pleaded with FRA to reconsider their decision because most of the farmers depended on that income to support their families.
Mr Malambo also advised farmers not to accept buyers who offered ³exploitative´ amounts for the purchase of their maize.
Mr Malambo applauded the Head of State for taking the best interest of the farmers at heart by openly declaring that FRA should adjust the floor price upwards.