MPONGWE District Council has banned small-scale farmers from selling maize before the official price is set by the Ministry of Agriculture. Council chairperson Benjamin Chilufya said in an interview yesterday that the council resolved to stop farmers from selling maize to ensure that they get a good price from selling the commodity.

Mr Chilufya said the council had a meeting with Copperbelt Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe, who directed the local authority to fulfil Government’s decision not to sell the commodity without the official price from the Ministry of Agriculture. “Yes, we have banned selling of maize because farmers here started selling the commodity at K2 per kilogramme and the price was not good,” he said. Mr Chilufya said “briefcase” buyers have complied with the ban until the “floor price” is announced by Government. He said farmers are now harvesting the maize in readiness for the marketing season. Mr Chilufya said Government should not delay to announce the price at which it will be buying the maize