By Staff Writer:
The Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) has expressed delight with government’s decision to maintain maize seed price for this year’s Affordable Input Programme (EIP) at K3500 just like it was last year.
On Tuesday Government announced that it will not adjust maize seed prices despite global economic trends which has seen an increase in most commodity prices on the market.
Reacting to the news, FUM President Frighton Njolomole said as an umbrella body for farmers in the country they are excited that government has been considerate not to adjust the prices.
“Honestly this is exciting news. We were worried that the prices might go up thus making it difficult for farmers to purchase the maize seed,” said Njolomole.
FUM has since urged farmers to prepare their fields in good time to plant with the first rains so that they realise bumper harvest.
“Government has done its part and now the challenge is on us farmers to do our part so that the country doesn’t experience hunger after this huge sacrifice government has made by subsidising the maize seed prices,” said Njolomole.
Njolomole has however appealed to government to consider revising downwards the price of fertiliser saying that will help a lot in making sure that the country deal with food insecurity in the coming year.
In a related development the FUM president has urged government to fastrack the process of forming farmer cooperatives under this year’s AIP. Earlier this year government announced that, effective this year, AIP beneficiaries will be identified through farmer cooperatives.
Njolomole has asked government to fast track the process of setting up the cooperatives for planning purposes.
Meanwhile Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Gracian Lungu says government will soon announce the process that will be involved in the formation of the cooperatives.
