FRA PUT ASIDE 17TH CENTURY ECONOMIC THEORIES AND BUY SOYA BEANS
Dear Editor,
GREVAZIO Zulu, anchor of Sunday Interview on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) is very current with key national issues. As the country debates the crop marketing season, he hosted Food Reserve Agency Board Chairperson, Mr Kelvin Hambwezya (ZNBC, May 28 2023).
The Board Chairperson briefed the nation on the current food security situation and the preparedness of the Agency in managing the recently launched crop marketing season.
While Mr Hambwezya was very convincing on the factors that threatened our food security in the recent past, he was less so on why FRA is not buying soya beans from the farmers and has left it to the market to the private sector.
Here I differ with Economists like Mr Hambwezya who take free markets as a dogma. Free market does not exist, if does, it is only on lips of the politicians.
The British and American governments regardless of whichever party is power, and these ones who have preached this dogma to us, always buy from farmers and if they have no use with corn, the throw it into the sea.
Mr Kelvin Hambwezya and his board must revisit the decision the buying soya beans from farmers particularly the small scale farmers. To suggest that small scale farmers sell to the private sector is to leave them to the fate of profiteers and will they have no income to show for their labour.
As part of farmer input support programme, the farmers received the soya
Mr Hambwezya beans seed from FRA and where did FRA expect the farmers to sell their harvest. Please, Mr Kelvin Hambwezya, put aside the 17th century economic theories and be pragmatic, this is about life and death for our small scale farmers.