Farmers group decries cost of living, urges govt to put in place measures to avoid maize wastage

Small Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) have urged government to set a good price for maize as the cost of living in Zambia is going up.

SAFADA Executive Director, Boyd Moobwe stressed the need for government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to take into consideration the current high cost of living when setting up the maize price.

“The cost of living in Zambia was going up and it was important that the government put that into consideration when setting the price for buying maize so that the farmers could get value for their money,” Moobwe said in an interview on Friday.

He also urged government to put in place mechanisms to make sure that FRA bought maize at the right moisture content to avoid wastage after opening the crop marketing season.

Read more: Govt urged to buy up maize in border areas, as farmers reportedly tap into export opportunities

Moobwe said there was need to put in mechanisms to ensure that maize would be brought at the right moisture for easy storage to avoid wastage.

Moobwe said there was nothing wrong with government opening the crop marketing season two months earlier than the normal time especially that the country was in need.

He said not all the farmers planted at same time meaning those who planted early their maize may have been dry at the right moisture content.

“We commend government for the crop marketing season because most farmers start having in the month of May and it was important that those that are ready to start selling can start,” Moombwe said.

Moobwe said the challenge still remained with FRA to make sure they bought the maize at the right moisture content at the level that was suitable for storage.

He said in an event that FRA went ahead to buy and store the maize that had high moisture content, then the country would be headed disaster because the maize would go to waste.

Moobwe also said he was optimistic that the government would buy the maize more than K200 per 50Kg bag.

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