Farmers To Push For Producer Price Increase If Maize Seed Price Remains High

In an interview with The Chronicle, Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) executive director Paul Zakaria said they will push for an increase of the producer price if the price of maize seed remains high.

The Grain Marketing Board buys maize from farmers at $390 per tonne. Said Zakaria:

The prices have to be commensurate with producer prices,” he said. “If the price of maize seed is to be allowed to be where it is now, as farmers we will push for a review of the producer price so as to accommodate the new price of inputs. If these prices are not reined in, farmers will downsize their production because of unaffordable costs of inputs. This will obviously affect production. There is, therefore, a need for a social contract between Government, business and consumers. Otherwise as farmers we will push for a review of producer price and this will have an effect on taxpayers.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Mr Wonder Chabikwa urged Government to intervene.

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