By Leah Ngoma
The Forum for Democracy and Development-FDD- says the K110 Food Reserve Agency-FRA- maize purchase price announced yesterday is not cost reflective because it does not take into account the high cost of production such as labour and farming inputs.
Party Spokesperson Yotam Mtayachalo is of the view that the government should have increased the maize purchase price in the 2020 maize marketing season instead of maintaining the same as last year because the rise in inflation and rapid depreciation of the kwacha has not been considered.
Mr Mtayachalo says small-scale farmers deserve an attractive price of maize which takes into account the cost of production in order to motivate them to grow more maize to guarantee national food security and for export.
He notes that small-scale maize farmers from time in immemorial have been impoverished by their own successive governments because they have been offered the prices of maize which have not been cost reflective due to political reasons.
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