Zambia’s power utility company ZESCO today implemented an extra 25% tariff increase as development industry analysts say it will have disastrous consequences in the economy. In May, ZESCO implemented a 50% price increase, after the Energy Regulation Board approved a two-phased tariff adjustment of 75%. The company says cost-reflective power…
While the maize price stand-off rages, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has only managed to buy 10% of its targeted 500 000 tons of maize, said a source within the agency. This is as the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) intensified calls on farmers to hold back their crop. Last…
The maize pricing stand-off has degenerated into a war of words between the Food Reserve Agency’s (FRA) Executive Director Chola Kafwabulula and Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) President Jervis Zimba. Reacting to Zimba calling FRA’s price offer of K60/50kg for white maize a “swindle”, Kafwabulula is now threatening to sue…
Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba is cautioning that farmers will dump maize cultivation in the next farming season. His warning comes as the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) insists that its offer of K60/50kg for maize is final. “This will have dire consequences for national food security as…
Maize price negotiations between the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) have broken down with the union abandoning talks to pursue direct discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture. A reliable source told Africanfarming.com that ZNFU at the weekend decided to talk to government directly, after…
The drop in fuel prices announced this week will have limited impact on farmers as lower grain values and high input costs will offset any savings from cheaper energy, said the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU). “The price of fertiliser is still high. Unless we look at the figures, it…
Maize price negotiations between the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and Food Reserve Agency (FRA) have stalled, say sources close to the talks. Meanwhile the grain buying exercise by FRA was still running at a slow pace. According to the sources, lengthy negotiations took place over the weekend but the…
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has issued an ultimatum to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to meet farmers over the price of maize. This is as the farmers’ union reiterated its call to farmers to hold back from selling maize to FRA. The state-owned grain buying agency has set…
The import of 150 000 tons of wheat to avert a looming national shortage is hanging in the balance because of the 10% import duty, says Andrew Chintala, president of the Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ). “The 10% duty on imported wheat is too high and must be waived because…
As the marketing season draws closer, criminals are using counterfeit notes to buy produce from small-holder farmers desperate for cash, Zambian authorities have warned. The warning comes after the biggest seizure of Zambian counterfeit notes by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC). “We would like to caution Zambians, especially small-scale farmers,…
The Zambian government has approved the import of 150 000 tons of wheat to avert a looming shortage. Confirming the development, Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) president Andrew Chintala called on government to also waiver duty on the import of the commodity to maintain stable prices of wheat products. “The…
About 3 000 hectares of maize and other crops have dried up in Muchinga Province’s Isoka district, one of the areas still suffering from drought. Luangwa district is another area hit by the dry spell which left most crops dead. Isoka district commissioner Evenwell Mutambo said the area suffered from…
The Zambian tobacco industry is seeking the scrapping of the 16% value added tax (VAT) on green tobacco exports ahead of the 2017 marketing season which starts next month. Government meanwhile assured Zambian farmers it would put measures in place to protect the local industry. The assurance came amid mounting…
Government has confirmed officials were involved in unlawfully selling inputs and embezzling cash under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). In a related development the Zambian National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has threatened to ban agro dealers who were inflating prices, from participating in the FISP e-voucher system in future. “We…
The Zambian maize export ban would probably stay in place until February, despite current stocks being sufficient to supply local demand. This was the outcome of a recent meeting held to discuss issues in the Zambian grain industry. Exporting partners agreed not to export maize until after a stakeholders’ review…
Zambia is losing regional markets for soya because of delayed issue of export permits and accompanying documents by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food Security (IMCFS). At a recent meeting of oilseed stakeholders, exporters complained about the length of time it took to process and receive the necessary documents from the…
Dr Frank Kayula, president of the National Union for Small scale farmers of Zambia (Nusfaz), is committed to advancing the future of small scale farmers in his country. Dr Kayula, a crop scientist who lectures at the University of Lusaka, says agriculture needs entrepreneurs who know how to farm and…
The Zambian Farm Employers Association (ZFEA) recently approved a 14.8% wage hike for farm workers. The increase, effective from 1 November is subject to approval by the Ministry of Labour. Unions rejected an offer of 13,8% in October. According to the Zambian National Farmers’ Union this increase applies to employees…
The Zambian government has identified the agricultural sector as a driver of economic diversification and job creation. On Friday the Minister of Finance, Felix Mutati, announced that agriculture had been allocated a major slice of the 2017 ZMK64.5 Bn budget. According to Mutati, the aim is to support macroeconomic objectives…
British organisation, Russell IPM, recently announced its plan to help Zambians in their fight against Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner), during a recent awareness seminar about the pest-induced disease. According to Russell IPM, the company has developed solutions to deal with the pest at various stages of infestation. Leaf miner…
The slow inflow of maize into the Lundazi district has prompted the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to close a total of 17 satellite depots. According to the latest brief from the ZNFU, the FRA set out a target of purchasing 19 200 tons of white maize in the district, located…
Farming is becoming more difficult and challenging in the weakening Zambian economy, with farmers’ unions warning about difficult times ahead. Farmers at the annual general meetings of the Mkushi District Farmers Association (DFA) and the Chisamba DFA, said various worrisome factors currently had a negative influence: “Farmers will remain poor…
