Farmers upset with maize floor price

Farmers upset with maize floor price

Kaputa, June 24, ZANIS—Farmers in Kaputa District are distressed with the recently announced maize floor price charging that the K5 increment for a 50 kilogramme bag of maize falls short of their expectations.

Kaputa District Agriculture Chairperson Philemon Kapoma said farmers
in the district were expecting the price of the country’s staple food to be
above K75 per 50 kg bag.

Mr Kapoma told ZANIS in an interview today that government should consult farmers and consider the cost of producing maize which has been increasing over the years when determining the maize floor price.

He said farmers in the area are now discouraged to produce maize for commercial purposes because it is unprofitable.

Meanwhile, Mr Kapisha has implored government through the Food Reserve
Agency (FRA) to speed up payments to farmers from whom maize is purchased during this year’s crop marketing season.

He noted that FRA often pays farmers late and this forces them to resort to selling their maize to briefcase businessmen at lower prices.

Government recently announced K70 as the maize floor price for this year’s
maize marketing season.