Kapiri farmers ‘giveaway’ maize

Some small scale farmers in Kapiri Mposhi district in the central province are selling a 50 kilo gram bag of  maize at twenty-four kwacha rebased.

A random check by ZANIS in Mukonchi and Chipepo areas revealed that some farmers were selling the grain to briefcase businessmen who have flooded the district.

And government says it is very concerned that some small scale farmers in the district were selling their maize at a giveaway price.

District commissioner Beatrice Sikazwe has urged the farmers to sell their maize at the recommended government price of KR65 per 50 kilo gram bag .

Ms. Sikazwe has also implored private buyers of maize other than the FRA not to exploit the farmers.

The DC noted that government was spending huge sums of money to subsidize farming inputs and it will not suffice for small scale farmers to sell their grain at cheap and uneconomic prices.

Ms. Sikazwe advised small scale farmers in the district not to fall prey to briefcase businessmen who are buying maize at a cheap and un-recommended floor price.

The DC assured farmers that government will this year allocate enough funds to provide a market and buy their maize at the recommended price of KR65.00 per 50 kg bag.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture in Kapiri Mposhi district has registered over 68,000 small scale farmers to benefit from the newly introduced Electronic Voucher (E-voucher) system of input distribution.

District Agriculture Coordinator, Benny Tembo, told ZANIS that the district has updated the farmers register and was ready to implement the E-voucher system of input distribution this year.

Mr. Tembo said the E-voucher system is aimed at ensuring efficiency in the delivery of farming inputs to the intended farmers on time.

Kapiri Mposhi district is among the ten districts in the country were the E-voucher system of input distribution will be piloted starting this year.