Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has described as a move in the right direction the announcement by President Edgar Lungu that the maize floor price will be revised upwards from the initial K70 announced by the Food Reserve Agency to K75 for a 50Kg bag.
ZNFU media liaison officer Kingsley Kaswende says the farmers union is happy with the revision because it’s a good step towards what farmers should be earning in their business.
Mr. Kaswende has told Qfm News by telephone that ZNFU however, thinks the revised floor price is not a huge increment.
He says this is because farmers have not been happy with purchase price of the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) which they consider to be too low.
Mr. Kaswende states that farmers feel that in order for them to be making sufficient profits in their business; they should be selling a 50kg bag of maize above K100.
He says with the current floor price, farmers believe that they are barely breaking even.
Mr. Kaswende states that this is given the high cost of chemicals, fertilizer, fuel, labour and seed coupled with the inflation factor.