SOLWEZI FARMERS APPLAUD MAIZE PRICE
FARMERS in Solwezi have welcomed the increase of the price of white maize from K65 to K70 per a 50kg bag by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
Solwe]i District )armer s Association chairperson Marian .alala said in an interview yesterday that farmers were ha ppy with the new price and were looking forward to selling their mai]e to )5$
$s farmers, we are very happy because everything to do with an increase of money on our efforts makes us happy and the directive by the 3resident has been well received, Ms .alala said
3resident Lungu recently directed )5$ to adMust upwards the mai]e purchase price from . per kg bag it had originally announced
Ms Kalala said the association was happy with the deliberate policies *overnment was putting in place aimed at empowering farmers
We are grateful to the *overnment, especially to our current 3resident for the policies being put in place and as farmers, we are looking forward to selling our mai]e to the government so that we can have enough money to buy inputs for ne[t season, Ms .alala said
She said the additional . from . would enable the farmers to realise enough money from their produce and buy inputs for the coming farming season
Ms .alala, however, said farmers in Solwe]i must also take advantage of other market players like millers to sell their mai]e instead of depending on the )5$ alone
We negotiated with our millers here on the mai]e price but now that *overnment has revised the price, we want to get back to them and say, look this is what government is offering and so you must give us a better price as well so that we create an alternative market, she said
She urged farmers to take farming as a serious business venture as *overnment had shown political will to empower them