The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has commended ZAMBEEF Products PLC for appreciating small scale farmers by offering to buy maize at the price of K92 per 50 kg bag as opposed to the K70 which the government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is offering.

CTPD Head of Programmes and Research Brian Mwiinga Head says the center takes this as a demonstration of what the private sector can do given an ideal working environment and has urged government to take time to have some serious introspection if they are truly interested in transforming the agriculture sector.

Mr. Mwiinga says it is disheartening to note that a private company like ZAMBEEF and other players like PEMBE Milling are seeing the importance of appreciating and rewarding hard work put in by the Small Scale Farmers while the government which prides itself as a pro-poor government chose to turn a blind eye to the cries and plight of the farmers.

He notes that as if that was not enough, ZAMBEEF has committed to paying the farmers their money within 24 hours further noting that this cannot be compared to the delays that usually characterizes the FRA procurement procedures where farmers are not paid for months on end after supplying their produce.

Mr. Mwiinga has called on other private sector players to emulate what ZAMBEEF PLC has done.
He has since advised farmers to work as a coordinated group in order to reduce the transportation costs that they may incur if they chose to go it alone.