The Zambian National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) has hailed the 2018 national budget as progressive in enhancing agricultural productivity. “The budget addresses some of the concerns of the farming community through various measures proposed to increase production and diversification,” said Jervis Zimba, ZNFU President. Last Friday, government announced a K71.6 billion…
With only a week before the close of the maize marketing season, Zambian farmers are selling their crop in panic. This while the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) said it won’t extend grain buying beyond the end of the month, when the marketing season closes. A survey conducted by Africanfarming.com showed…
The Zambian government has reversed the 10% export duty on raw maize following an outcry from farmers. The duty was ostensibly imposed to encourage value addition and job creation. Farmers relentlessly fought against the tax, describing it as a major policy inconsistency that will discourage increased grain productivity. Zambian National…
The president of the Zambian National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) Jarvis Zimba said the Zambian agricultural sector can be turned around if farmers didn’t have to pay tax. “If we can just zero rate agriculture, we can attract huge investments,” Zimba said in an interview with organisers of the upcoming Agritech…
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) told farmers to brace for poor maize prices. According to ZNFU, government interference in maize marketing, coupled with indirect taxes, are contributing to expected depressed grain prices. The warning comes amidst reports of farmers in some parts of Zambia selling maize for as low…
The possibility of an oversupply of maize, as well as deflated prices, are looming just three months before the 2017 harvest starts. This prompted the Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) to make a desperate plea to government to allow it to export a surplus of 23 000 tons of maize…
Zambian Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Michael Katambo says livestock farmers must comply with the 500% increase in veterinary fees imposed earlier this month. The minister’s statement comes amidst complaints by farmers over what they’ve described as exorbitant fees. In accordance with the revised fees, a consultation was now pegged…
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) President Jervis Zimba has cautioned against exploitation of small-scale farmers during the next marketing season when the newly introduced liberalised pricing of maize comes into effect. “Farmers must be aware. They must not sell their crops at a lower price or exchange it for…
In a dramatic departure from procedure, President Edgar Lungu announced, on Thursday, that the government is to liberalise the price of maize, at the start of the next marketing season, to boost the staple crop’s productivity. There has been a positive response to this news from farmers across the board,…
The Millers Association of Zambia’s (MAZ) president, Andrew Chintala, said, in an interview today, that traders had agreed to make 500 000t of maize available on the local market after negotiations with government, the Zambian National Farmers Union (ZNFU), the Grain Traders Association and other stakeholders. “This development will mean…
Stakeholders at a recent meeting in the rice industry identified several obstacles that still hampered Zambian rice production and exports. Limited access to good quality and a variety of seed was the main concern. Other problems were market access and low levels of mechanisation along the whole value chain. Rice was…
The Zambia Bureau of Standards' (ZABS) new draft standards on peanut butter (Zs 726) is open for public commentary. These standards are set up to ensure quality products for consumers. The ZNFU requested all their members to make comments on the linked standards before 15 December 2016 and to submit to…
During a recent meeting between the Zambian National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) and the ministers of finance and agriculture, the union brought several worrying factors affecting growth in the agricultural sector, to the attention of the ministers. “The ZNFU pointed out that the high cost of doing business because of the…
Farmers with outstanding payments for delivering grain to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) will be paid before the end of the month. Zambian Minister of Agriculture, Dora Siliya, recently told the Zambian National Farmers Union (ZNFU) that farmers still owed money by the FRA will be paid within the next…
Musika has trained staff from the ministry of agriculture, from the Zambian National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU), and from several agricultural dealers, in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). The Southern Province and the Eastern Region were the first to receive this boost to the farming sector. CSA has been rolled out by…
The newly-elected ZNFU has a difficult task ahead to get the organisation back on its feet. The ZNFU had been through a rough year, rocked by scandal and needed help from all role-players said Mr Jervis Zimba, new president of the organisation. Zimba appealed for support from stakeholders because of…
Very little maize has been bought by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the Eastern Province, because of the increased number of private buyers in the region. Dr Chanda Kasolo, permanent secretary of the Eastern Province, told the media that the FRA had bought a low number of bags of…
The newly-elected board of directors of the National Congress of the Zambian National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has expressed its commitment to transformation, after the recent scandals and series of misfortunes that have rocked the organisation. According to the latest ZNFU statement, the union will be headed by Mr Jervis Zimba,…
Zambia’s Eastern Province has been identified for the establishment of agricultural processing industries and factories where value can be added to agricultural produce. According to the latest ZNFU weekly brief, the potential of the Eastern Province was recently highlighted in a discussion forum on industrialisation and sustainability that was held…
