Wed, 24 May 2017 12:11:07 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
MAIZE farmers are not graduating from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) because of unfavourable market strategies which are negatively affecting their progression and growth, leaving millers as the only ultimate beneficiaries in the sector, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has observed.
ZNFU president Jervis Zimba told the Daily Nation that Government had failed to fully reap the intended benefits of the empowerment, progression and graduation programme for farmers because of the poor marketing strategies in place where they did not get value for their produce as they were at the mercy of the millers and grain traders.
Mr. Zimba said as long as no proper marketing strategies were put in place to protect the ordinary farmer from exploitation, it might be difficult for Government to realise the full benefit of the FISP programme and will continue subsiding inputs for the same farmers every year because they would not graduate.
“Government is spending money on FISP to ensure that there is progression among our farmers but the problem has been on how we have managed the sector especially the market aspect of it. Farmers have continued to produce at the same level because they are just at the mercy of millers and grain traders.
“First of all, the cost of production is high and added to that there are council levies which are passed on to the farmer before their produce gets to the market. As if that is not enough, Government has slapped a 10 percent export tax and this too is indirectly passed on the poor farmer and at the end of the day, the ultimate beneficiaries are millers who do not make any loss,” Mr. Zimba said.
He said there was need for Government to pay particular attention to some of the concerns raised by the union because it was representing the interest of the poor farmers rather than allowing itself to be misled by people who were in business and were only interested in their own welfare.
He said while the union and other stakeholders had tried to provide sound advice to Governmnet on a wide range of issues affecting the sector, their advice had often fallen on deaf ears and that most of the challenges facing farmers would have been resolved a long time ago had those responsible listened to the right people.
“Sometimes we wonder what is going on in the sector. You remember very well that we advised Government against signing a tripartite maize subsidy agreement which saw millers get the commodity at a reduced rate but they never listened to us and maintained that through the agreement, mealie meal prices would reduce to K85 per 25 kg bag. Did that happen?
“This was an agreement that only benefited the millers who made a fortune for themselves, leaving out the producers and the consumers whom they exploited with exorbitant prices. We have no explanation why wrong things seem to be tolerated. Millers who are sabotaging prices are given a listening ear while us who are acting on behalf of the poor farmers are ignored on a number of issues but this is working against Government programmes in the sector,” he said.
