Zambian soya bean growers are incensed by the low price for their crop this season. It is selling at K100 per 50kg bag.

Irate farmers are now looking at exporting their crop or using it as stock feed to mitigate the poor market conditions.
A posting on Zambia’s influential small-scale farmers Facebook forum by Joseph Mulenga, a soya bean farmer, immediately mobilised more than 150 other growers.

“The current price is not encouraging, especially when we look at expenses that went into planting the crop. Let’s team up and look for an outside market,” Mulenga wrote.

His proposal received unanimous support on the forum. “We have a deal but it must be transparent… We don’t want to be swindled… Organise and let us know,” said Able Chisenga.

The farmers also created a WhatsApp group to coordinate the mobilisation and possible export of soya beans. Zimbabwe and Namibia are among the export options local growers are considering.

• Mail news@24com-prod-africanfarming.azurewebsites.net with any news leads.