National Union for Small-scale Farmers of Zambia Acting Director Noel Simukonde cries for a good maize price
By Favourite Jenala Kalando
THE National Union for Small-scale Farmers of Zambia (NUSFAZ) is urging the Zambian government through Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo to consider to peg the price of a 50-kilogram bag of maize to 150 Kwacha during the 2019-2020 farming season.
As Zambia awaits announcement of the floor price of grain, NUSFAZ Acting Director Noel Simukonde insisted in an interview in Lusaka that the union is not expecting less than a 130 Kwacha price of a 50kg bag of maize.
An optimistic Mr. Simukonde says a price range of 130 to 150 kwacha will be more economically appropriate for 2019-2020 harvest year owing to the teething challenges farmers experienced this farming season.
The National Union for Small-scale Farmers of Zambia Acting Director is concerned that prices of agricultural inputs have not been on a lower side, stressing that farmers spent more money purchasing fertilizers and seeds, which continue to be distributed late.
Mr. Simukonda states that the cost of production has really gone up thus government should consider these factors when announcing a commensurate maize purchase price for the 2019-2020 farming season.
