Cotton companies threaten to confiscate maize from loan defaulters

Cotton farmers in Eastern Province who will fail to pay back loans risk losing their maize produce.
Cotton companies are reported to have informed farmers that they will use bailiffs to seize maize from those that will not pay back the loans.
Speaking to Breeze News, one of the farmers Agrippa Zulu says that this has instilled fear as most farmers have not performed well due to poor rains.
Mr. Zulu charged that the poor buying price of 2 Kwacha 40 Ngwee per kilogramme will put farmers in an awkward station.
And Mr. Zulu says that Zambia produces one of the best qualities of cotton and should therefore have good buying prices.
He says that it is unacceptable for buying companies to reduce the buying price from 3 Kwacha 10 Ngwee for last marketing season to 2 Kwacha 40 Ngwee.
Mr. Zulu says that the 70 Ngwee difference has a huge impact on farmers, who depend on growing cotton to sustain their lives.