MINISTER SILIYA EXPLAINS MAIZE PRICE

Sat, 14 Oct 2017 13:01:59 +0000

By Mukosela Kasalwe

THERE is no official Government floor price for maize says Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya.

She said the K60 per 50 kilogram bag offered by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was the price the Government was willing to pay and that in some cases, through bargaining with private buyers’ farmers, got a higher offer.

Ms Siliya said farmers were free to negotiate with other buyers for a favourable price and needed not to only depend on the FRA.

She said farmers on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) were less affected by the K60 compared to those who were not on the programme because they did not receive any farming inputs from Government.

She said in Parliament yesterday, that farmers in Muchinga Province were selling a 50kg bag of maize to private individuals at K100 while in Southern Province it was K30, a situation she attributed to forces of economic demand.

“The K60 per 50kg bag of maize is not the floor price but this is the amount that Government is willing to pay through the FRA.

“Farmers on FISP are less affected by this price compared to farmers who are not on this programme because they are not provided with farming materials,” she said.

Ms Siliya said the chanting of corruption allegations by MPs in the House was not helpful.

The minister said the same MPs who were chanting allegations during the day would visit her at an awkward hour seeking for favours on FISP.