RELEASE National Farmers Union

10th May 2021 Fathi eyes winning run NATIONAL FARMERS UNION REACTION TO THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CROP FORECAST FOR THE 2020/21 FARMING SEASON By

team as they beat Indeni 1-0 in Ndola.

Stuttering Green Bufaloes and Forest Rangers shared the spoils in their fixture played at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka with Chipili Mungule scoring for Buffaloes while Quadri

Leopards have

Kolatwas scored for Rangers

maintained their top four

in their 1-1 tie..

position following a 1-0 win Fathi said he was confi- from what we have done in Instrumental midfielder

Red Arrows are back to win-

over Buildcon in their week dent that his team would the first round of continen- Danny Silavwe will be side-

ning ways following their 2-0

11 fixture played in Kabwe replicate their form of the tal games and our three last lined for the next ten days

win over Young Green Eagles

yesterday. last two games in the pre- continental games in which after having been injured in

in the second double header Prior to the game, Leopards liminary round in which our players have shown their 1-0 win against Green

played at Nkoloma Stadium. were on fourth place and have they saw off FC Ngazi of Co- character," Fathi said. Buffaloes in the domestic

Paul Katema opened the since moved to third place on moros. We will put our game league last week.

scores in the third minute NAPSA scored nine goals against Power behind us, Silavwe has been instru- the The Super Zambia Division National league. Farmers

while Union Felix Bulaya (ZNFU) completed metric ton per NAPSA hectare Stars and head in other coach areas like private sector can capture niche export market maize and that logistically, the 1.5 million tonnes David congratulates Obash was the the farmers dif- all together in the prelimi- the concentration in camp mental in NAPSA's last three the countrywide rout in the 82 for minute Mpongwe, to yields Mohamed as high Fathi as 9.5 is confi- metric tons per opportunities before the domestic market surplus will not vanish from Zambia overnight.

naryround, gets defeating saturated their and is very prices high so crash. we are Should full of we games scoring a brace in the ference attaining for the a national two sides yield as of 3,620,244 metric tons hectare have dent been that recorded. his team will con-

hand Arrows victory. his of ninth maize minute compared strike was to all 3.4 million metric tonnes tinue with their fine form in opponents 9-2 allow on aggregate. this to happen, confidence then all and the our gains players will be first leg Our preliminary call is that fixture the export program must be Leopards recorded needed in to the add 2019/2020 more farming season. We followed the with Confederation keen interest Cup the as statement Fathi is optimistic reversed his as in- farmers are will scoring, end up Mayuka with poor scored, prices, against strategically Ngazi away implemented in Co- to the benefit of

SCORE BOARD: woes Further, to Buidlcon 411,115 side. metric tons of soya beans was by the Honourable they host Minister UD Songo of of Agriculture Mo- form on players become Emmanuel discontent Laudt and scored, the future Jacob season scored will moros. all private sector players that is, the farmers,

Green Buffaloes 1-1 Forest

In produced other fixtures, compared Lusaka to 296,686 metric tonnes in the Crop Forecast zambique for on the Tuesday. 2020/2021 marketing Mayuka, Jacob be Ngulube catastrophic and as so farmers everything will is abandon on the right maize NAPSA the are millers, making and their the traders. The Union is

Rangers

Dynamos the previous recently season signed which translates to a 67% season, especially The Mozambican to determine arrive the marketing Timothy Otieno growing. would We con- appeal track. to Government to allow the debut of participation a consented in the view that grain and mealie

Indeni that 0-1 farmers Lusaka have Dynamos aspects midfielder increase. Collins This is Sikombe an indication for in the the announced country today huge ahead crop. tinue On scoring export going into of 1.5 the million And tons Fathi of maize is hopeful as that grain or competition meal with exports a win should over be pursued in parallel

Prison a commercial Leopards crop 1-0 Buildcon exports, contined now embraced with his soya fine beans form as it of was the highlighted first leg first that round the country first round of mealie the competi- meal immediately his injury because sidelined the play- export two legs immediately against Songo and guar- even the MOU with DRC was

Red Arrows agenda. 2-0 Young The Green has attained a maize surplus and exports tion. will for and his a side key as crop his in goal the diversification was fixture to be played at the destination will determine ers,Tapson what Kaseba is desired. and Bon- anteeing structured them progression in this manner.

Eagles supports poultry enough good to news seal the is that win for soyabeans his not be denied Heroes but Stadium will be on through Tuesday the millers "We are trying to push well Mwape could be back to the second round of the production, edible oil production and there is who will in turn create a market for farmers, from the same Government momentum should to full also action revoke in January. the Statutory competition. It is worth noting that the policy to deliberately

afternoon. demand for it in the export market. then 80,000 metric tonnes of the grain will be Instrument (SI) that deters maize export by encourage mealie meal exports ONLY will not MPONDELA IS ZA

exported through the World Food Programme slapping a 10% export tax on maize grain strike maximum benefits for the grain industry In general, from the fifteen commodities reported and arrangements will be put in place for the exports. Winding back, when the Ministry of nor the country. This is primarily because of not through the crop forecast only five commodities early maize which will be grown next season for Finance introduced this tax, it was stated by the only the limited capacity to mill all the grain but recorded a decline in production. Therefore, export. then Minister of Finance, Honourable Mutati and also because the incentive to buy maize will now overall trends of the crop forecast revealed the former Minister of Agriculture Honourable only be from one stakeholder, the miller, leaving progress as production went up for most Our instant take on this marketing strategy is Dora Siliya that when national harvest exceeds the grain traders with no option but to participate commodities but also there was an increase in that the country will not tap into the regional 2.2 million metric tons, the 10% export tax in grain purchases in a low-key manner for area under cultivation which demonstrates that markets in an optimal way because we are not would automatically be removed. We, therefore, this marketing season as they will have to sell there is an increased uptake in crop farming in sending a signal that we are open for maize appeal to the Honourable Minister of Finance the maize to the millers or WFP. We have an the country generally. export business and we cannot understand why. and the Minister of Agriculture to act swiftly and opportunity to make an indelible mark on exports

Zambia should be alive to the fact that the region remove the 10% export tax now that the country in the region but if not well harnessed, this will SUPREMO

Having attained such milestones, our take is that has had a good crop overall and the country has has produced 3.6 million tonnes. This will make not happen and farmers who have shown that the progress we have made MUST be sustained. a huge surplus of 1.5 million tonnes. the maize grain become attractive to trade in they are able to produce will be discouraged One cardinal factor towards safeguarding future the region and help us avoid oversupply on the because of the poor prices that will arise. production is by ensuring that the right market The ZNFU appeals to Government to address domestic market.

… as he edges celebrated incentives are in place to guarantee farmers get this anomaly with urgency because the country fair prices that will enable them to participate in should be engaging in a massive export drive to The Union recognizes that value addition

Olympian Matete in two-man the next farming season. sell the surplus immediately. This should include is important to improving foreign exchange inviting the Democratic Republic of Congo to earnings of a particular commodity, however,

contest To most of us in the farming sector, the progress come and source their 600,000 metric tonnes of there is a compelling case in favour of export achieved on maize production does not surprise maize and mealie meal officially as agreed under of grain as certain export markets demand for us because it is well-documented and a known the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it. Why compel farmers to export through fact that Zambia should be the hub of grain signed between Zambia and the Democratic a mono channel by only selling to millers production in the region. This is because the Republic national of Congo. declared Such Mpondela an announcement didate at the discretion to export if the in form of mealie meal only? In

By MUKWIMA CHILALA soils are well suited and the yields capable would the end winner the smuggling immediately. executive flowing the consulta- past, we have exported limited quantities of being attained in this country are next to The elective general meet- tions with stakeholders. because One of such conditions.This policy stance

ELIAS none. Recently in Mpika at the National field The marketing ing was with arrangements no drama for as this of huge the members crop to should the meet- be revisited because we should be Day a small-scale farmer was harvesting at 7 will require a group timely led by policy controvesial decisions ing so that moved the a Mpondela motion mindful to dis- that Zambia is not the only source of

has been former Olympians Jonathan qualify the former 400 metres

re- elected Chipalo and Carol Mokola World champion Matete from

ZAMBIA

In a nutshell, the Union is pleased with the farmers efforts in engaging in producing the staple food. BUT we are disappointed by the latest twist in the policy announced by the Minister of Agriculture on the maize exports because this certainly has no blessings of the farmers who will be short-changed in the process because the prospects of getting a fair price through a mono channel of exporting will not be there.