ZNFU demands good maize price for farmers

GOVERNMENT must come up with a good maize price this farming season unlike the one offered in the last season, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has said.

ZNFU president Jervis Zimba appealed to Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo who was the guest of honour at the Pioneer Dupont national field day in Magoye district Southern Province, to ensure farmers had a better selling price of maize this farming season.

Mr Zimba explained that the agriculture sector continued to be the backbone of the country’s economy and contributed to the growth of the economy and also its exports adding that it was also the main source of livelihood and employment of the majority of people in the rural areas. And Mr Katambo said he was honored to officially open this year’s Pioneer Dupont nation field day organised under the theme “Complementing Government efforts and initiative to achieve farmers success enrich the lives and ensure national food security”.

The minister said Government attached great importance to the agriculture sector because of the potential it had to contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Mr Katambo commended the Pioneer Dupont and Musika Zambia for the initiative to support government efforts in the delivery of extension and adaptive research service.

“One of the trust area of the second national agriculture policy is to promote research of the new varieties in view of changing climatic conditions.

“The Ministry of Agriculture is committed to ensuring that smallholder farmers have timely access to quality agriculture inputs,” he said.

Mr Katambo explained that it was in this regard that the ministry designed the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP) to improve access and affordability of agricultural inputs for the farmers.

He said the programme had been revised and upgraded into the electronic voucher system to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.

Meanwhile the Pioneer Dupont country lead Samson Nyendwa said pioneer brought global presence depth of knowledge and diverse resources so that farms and farmers could flourish everywhere.

Mr Nyendwa said there was need for the agriculture industry to find smarter ways to help society to strive “we need to revitalise how we farm and fuel human potential for our changing world.”