UPND urges government to announce maize floor price

The opposition UPND, United Party for National Development in Eastern Province has challenged government to announce the maize floor price.
Provincial Information and Publicity Secretary, Victor Mbuzi told Breeze News that government through FRA, the Food Reserve Agency should quickly announce the maize floor price in order for farmers to have a choice of where to sale their produce.
Mr Mbuzi says the issue of moisture content cannot prevent government from announcing the maize floor price.
He says FRA should offer a price of not less than 100 kwacha for a 50 kilogram bag of maize, so that farmers cover the cost used during their farming activities.
And Mr Mbuzi alleged that the statement that government will reduce the number of buying depots in this year’s marketing season will disadvantage some farmers, who will be subjected to walking long distances to the markets.
And Mr Mbuzi says the prices currently offered to farmers by private buyers on some crops such as soya beans are a mockery.
He says private buyers are swindling farmers by offering low prices because government does not buy other farm produce such as soya beans, sunflower and groundnuts.