The National Union for Small-Scale Farmers in Zambia-NUSFAZ- says private maize buyers have significantly increased their purchase prices following the Food Reserve Agency-FRA-‘s K340 maize buying price per 50-kilogram bag, an encouraging development for smallholder farmers.
NUSFAZ Executive Director Ebony Lolozhi says before the FRA’s announcement, private traders were reportedly offering between K100 and K200 per 50kg bag to desperate small-scale farmers, with the new benchmark set by the FRA compelling private buyers to offer more competitive prices.
Mr. Lolozhi says the price increase is expected to stimulate competition among buyers during the current marketing season, with further motivation coming from the FRA which intends to purchase between 600,000 to 1 million metric tons of maize in the ongoing maize marketing season.
He tells Phoenix News that this environment will ultimately empower farmers to make better choices and earn more from their harvests, including from grain traders who have indicated willingness to offer competitive prices.
Mr. Lolozhi is urging government and stakeholders to continue supporting policies that create fair market conditions and to strengthen storage and transport infrastructure to ensure that farmers take full advantage of the improved pricing environment.
-Radio Phoenix