By Lumbiwe Mwanza

KRI Zambia Chief executive officer Frank Kayula says his organisation expects the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to set the Maize floor price at K281 per 50 Kilogram (Kg) bag to enable farmers make profits from their hard work.

FRA was today expected to announce the maize floor price for the 2021/ 2022 farming the briefing has however been postponed to a later date.

Dr. Kayula whose institution promotes research innovation methods for farmers said a price between K250-K281 will help improve the livelihoods of Small scale Famers as the cost of Commodities have gone up.

“I feel that FRA should be announcing prices early in the year, immediately they know their budgetary allocation because it does not need to wait for maize mosture content to go down to 12% before they set the price,” Dr.Kayul said.

He added that delayed Price announcement by FRA exposes smallholder farmers to alternative markets such as the briefcase buyers hence the need to ensure that prices are announced early.

Last year the Government had pegged the cost of a 50kg bag of maize at K150.