Unscrupulous maize dealers worry ZNFU

05 April 2010, Sunday Post
URL: http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=7774

Lusaka:  The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has expressed worry at the huge number of unscrupulous maize traders who have invaded most parts of Mazabuka and established maize buying points in chiefs Hanjalika and Mwenda’s areas.

Southern Province ZNFU manager, Clement Phiri yesterday told Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) that the unscrupulous traders who were believed to have been sponsored by Lusaka-based millers had opened buying points in Hanzala, Ngwezi and Chikankata areas and were reportedly buying a 50 kilogramme bag of maize at K30,000.

He said there was urgent need for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to move in quickly and announce the floor price to protect farmers. He said any delay could result in farmers being swindled as they had already become vulnerable to the briefcase maize dealers who had invaded the district.

Phiri said Southern Province had recorded a bumper harvest and the government should ensure that they buy everything. He urged the government to authorise FRA to export the carry-over maize stocks to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the demand for the commodity was high in order to create room for the current crop.

“Bogus maize traders believed to be sponsored by some millers from Lusaka have already gone in the market and are buying a 50 kilogramme bag at K30,000. So we urge FRA to announce the floor price, buy the maize from farmers and offload the old stock and create room for the new stock. The market for maize is there in the Congo,” Phiri said.

He said FRA could open the marketing season late if the government did not allow the agency to offload the old stock, saying this could perpetuate the unfair prices that farmers were being offered by briefcase businessmen.

Phiri said there were indications that FRA could move into the market late because of the huge quantities of the carry-over stock which left them with little space to accommodate the new crop.