BRIEFCASE maize buyers in Chipata have taken advantage of the low maize price to purchase the commodity cheaply from desperate farmers. The businesspersons are buying a gallon of maize at K3. Maize buyers have flooded Chimsana Village in chief Mafuta’s area of Chipangali Constituency purchasing the commodity for supply to Food Reserve Agency at a higher price.
A farmer, Jabes Banda, revealed that the buyers lure the farmers with instant cash.
“ FRA will not pay you there and then. Another thing is the money you get from selling to FRA in the designated areas costs us transport, which again reduces the money so these men and women who are buying from us are taking advantage of the situation,” said Banda. FRA has set the price for maize at K60 per 50 Kilogramme bag.