Enough of the Excuses




Hapunda Demands Immediate FRA Maize Price Announcement, Warns Delays Are Hurting Farmers

By Francis Maingaila

Choongwe, Zambia24 — 7-7-2026 — Socialist Party Chongwe West aspiring Member of Parliament Brian Hapunda has called on the Government and the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to immediately announce the floor price for a 50-kilogram bag of maize for the 2025/2026 marketing season, warning that continued delays are exposing farmers to exploitation.

Hapunda told Zambia24 that the explanation that the government is waiting for the moisture content of maize grain to reduce before announcing the FRA buying price is not convincing and has left farmers uncertain about the value of their produce.

"The narrative that the government is waiting for the moisture content of maize grain to go down before the FRA can announce the floor price does not make sense. Farmers need certainty, and they deserve to know how much their maize will fetch," Hapunda said.

He urged the government to be transparent if it is facing financial constraints in purchasing maize from farmers.

"If the Government does not have the money to purchase maize from our hardworking farmers, it should come out in the open and say so in good time instead of delaying the announcement of the FRA floor price," he said.

Hapunda said the delay has created panic among farmers, particularly in Chongwe West, where he claimed some private buyers are taking advantage of the uncertainty by purchasing maize at prices far below what farmers expected.

"The continued delay is causing major panic among our hardworking farmers, including here in Chongwe West, where some businessmen are manipulating the farmers and buying maize at extremely low prices," he added.

He called on the government to urgently announce the FRA floor price to restore confidence among farmers and safeguard them from exploitation during the maize marketing season.

The government has previously indicated that the announcement of the FRA buying price would be made after assessing the moisture content of the harvested maize to ensure quality standards are met.

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