South CSPR asks for floor maize price
By Staff Reporter
The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) in Southern Province has described the delay by government to announce the 2018 marketing season maize floor price as unjustifiable.
But last year, then agriculture minister Dora Siliya told the nation that the Food Reserve Agency would no longer announce the maize price.
Siliya said instead, it was the responsibility of farmers to fix prices for their product.
CSPR Vice board chairperson Partner Siabutuba said the delay in announcing the floor price was discouraging to famers as they were supposed to start planning for the 2018 planting season.
“It is unfair that to date, famers are still in the dark as to how much the government through Food Reserve Agency will buy maize this marketing season. Maize production is not cheap hence the need for government to announce an economically viable price this year around,” said Siabutuba.
And Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Thomas Mtonga said when production of maize reduced, agricultural economic activities were affected.
“There are a number of factors that have affected the agriculture sector in the province. The factors include unfavourable rainfall pattern and late access of farming inputs by some small-scale farmers under the agriculture subsidised programme,” said Mtonga.
“Government, through FRA, the Food Reserve Agency has planned to purchase 390, 000 metric tons of maize at national level in this year’s marketing season. This however, is a drop compared to last year’s marketing season when government had a target to procure about 500, 000 metric tons of maize at national level.”
