Dear Editor,
I watched KBF speak closely yesterday and what he had to say was nothing but truth!
To be specific he talked about the Agriculture sector. Sad to say under this regime agriculture is failing terribly.
I was able to gather some points that am sure the masses will agree with me.
1. The prices of agriculture inputs have skyrocketed to unbelievable prices. This has lead many farmers to reduce on what they normally produce yearly because of the cost.
2. Farmers who sold their maize to FRA from last year where only paid last week. This simply means they did not plant any crops in December because they where still waiting on funds from the government.
Not only that farmers rely on that money for many things from school fees which needed to be paid in January to buying food for sustenance.
3. The floor price at which FRA buys the maize from the locals is an insult! Those people put in a lot of work . As if FRA paying farmers is not enough they buy the maize at unbelievably low prices. How is that encouraging farmers to expand ? Because clearly there is no motivation there.
4. One would say quite alright farmers can sell to other businesses as much as that might be true well again almost each and every year the give outs a ban on the export of maize ! So FRA will not buy at a good price but again exporting the maize at a good price is banned . How is that empowering?
5. Agro dealers have cried for help to receive there payments. The contract which was signed between Agro dealers and the government under the FISP-program clearly stated that payment would be made within 72 hrs of business working days! From last year December Agro dealers have not been paid this has not been easy because there suppliers are not charging interest in the goods they obtained to supply farmers . The government cannot keep on threatening Agro – dealers to say they will be deregistered because they did not supply farmers with inputs the reason is simple they have not been paying their end . If everyone kept there end of the contract there would no problem and farmers would not complain either . The government has to pay what they owe to those people so that the remaining farmers can get there inputs .!