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Ashton Mutyavaviri and Mangaliso Lawrence Kabulika
FARMERS may have celebrated too early after it turned out that retail agro-dealers in Harare have increased maize seed price from US$79 for a 25kg pack at the end of July, which they had all agreed was affordable to the current US$90 that they feel will be difficult to put together if they needed to plant large hectarages of the cereal.
Results from a random survey by this publication yesterday showed that the 25kg pack was now going for between US$80 and US$90 depending on the outlet. The price of fertilisers, however, has not changed with a 50kg bag of Compound D and C going for US$33 with Ammonium Nitrate (AN) at US$37. The price of AN has even gone US$2 lower than the US$39 tag it was carrying in July.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general Mr Paul Zakariya said: “The price of maize seed is increasing across the country and this is not a good sign if we want to reduce production costs. Our markets always remain depressed, which means market prices or producer prices are not moving upwards at all after being were set.”
He added that the cost of fertiliser was always high since a farmers needed more fertiliser yet maize seed was the most important input and this sudden jump in pricing was a cause for concern to farmers.
Mr Zakariya observed that the increase in price would affect self-financed farmers more.
“Seed is produced locally and this is where we question the whole system as to what is really going on. We are aware that seed growers are not being paid much but what is really pushing prices to go up. That will have a negative effect on self-financed farmers if they intend to plant bigger hectarages,” he said.
In light of the above, he said farmers under contract or the Presidential Scheme would plant more seed as opposed to the self-financed farmer.
“The farmers’ problem is further compounded by the high interests charged by banks to farmers when they want to borrow. Given that most of them need short-term loan facilities, high interest rates are beyond them and the next thing is that they are discouraged from planting bigger hectarages,” Mr Zakariya said.
He challenged various stakeholders to come up with a solution towards the maize seed price increase.
“We are calling on all stakeholders to put their heads together and confront this problem. Maize is our staple crop as a nation so if we fail to produce it sustainably, it means our food security will be compromised,” he said.
Zimbabwe Integrated Commercial Farmers Union (ZICFU) president, Mrs Maiwepi Jiti echoed Mr Zakariya’s sentiments saying:
“Maize contributes to food security, sustainability, and profitability of the farmers. It becomes a challenge if prices of inputs start to increase substantially like we are witnessing. Maize is one of the crops grown by all farmers because of its importance as the staple food to Zimbabweans and contributes significantly to food security,” said Mrs Jiti
Mrs Jiti also said prices should decrease for farmers to stay competitive.
“It is unfair practice to keep asking for assistance from the Government year in, year out. It does not depict the business concept, which we must practise since farming is a business. As farmers, we sympathise with the input producers as well, but they must share the burden equally and not make farmers suffer always because it cuts deeper into their income before raising the prices to the consumer. For farmers to stay competitive, they will have to raise the producer price or risk losses or low profits,” she added.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president, Dr Shadreck Makombe said the high pricing was counterproductive.
“The high price pricing of maize seed by various agro-dealers will force farmers to resort to using open pollinated varieties, which are not lab tested and of poor quality. Also, given the El Nino threat that might strike our country, there won’t be time to replant in the event that the seed from the home silos fails to germinate. The seed is also prone to diseases. Even those with irrigation facilities will have wasted water already yet as a nation we want to maximise all the resources and inputs we have,” said Dr Makombe.
He added that if fertiliser prices were low, maize seed should also be low, as a mismatch had a negative impact on plans towards self-suffiency for both the farmer and the country.
Online Reporter