By SIMON MUNTEMBA
THE maize producer price will stimulate growth in the agriculture and other sectors as well as cushion farmers against the high cost of production, stakeholders have said.
On Monday, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) increased the producer price of maize from K110 to K150 per 50kg bag. The FRA also announced that it would in this crop marketing season buy soya beans at K500 per 50kg and paddy rice at K200 per 40kg bag.
In an interview, the National Union of Small-Scale Farmers in Zambia (NUSFAZ) executive director, Ebony Lolozhi, said the price was fair and encouraging.
“I would simply describe the price to be fair and encouraging, though I am sure farmers wanted a much higher increase. But all in all, with this kind of prices, farmers will be encouraged to grow more,” Mr Lolozhi said.
He said the decisio to increase the price of maize by 40 percent would enhance production of the country’s staple food because farmers were likely to double their efforts in producing more maize.
The Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) has also welcomed the price of maize set by the FRA.
MAZ president, Andrew Chintala, said the prices showed that Government appreciated the farmers’ hard work.
Mr Chintala said MAZ had was happy that farmers had been rewarded for their hard work and effort put in the production of maize.
He has however challenged private buyers to offer higher prices because “what the FRA has set is not the floor price but their own buying price.”
