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News and Information
Maize Price Set to Drop (2004-10-19)
| October 19, 2004 |
By Risco Lumamezi
THE price of white maize is expected to drop early next year when the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) is expected to review the present cost of the staple, for it to be on par with cheaper imports.
The new maize price is expected to cover a five-year period and will differ from region to region. In the Caprivi, a ton or twenty bags of maize will cost N$1435, down from N$1720, while at Oshakati it will cost N$1585. Currently, a ton costs much more.
At Otavi, at the centre that serves as a central marketing point for the northern regions, the price will be reduced to N$1785 per ton.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Namibia Agronomic Board, Christof Brock revealed these prices at Katima Mulilo during a visit to the area as part of a nationwide tour.
He said that NAB had held several meetings in all regions of the country so that farmers could brace themselves for the new prices.
He also said the parity importation of maize from South Africa will also be closed and no miller in the Caprivi will be allowed to import maize from that country.
But local millers will have an advantage of buying maize from Livingstone in Zambia where the staple is in abundance, he said.
Zambia has had such a good harvest that it has exported maize to a number of other African countries that experienced a grain deficit. Namibians at Katima Mulilo also say maize meal from Zambia is nutritious and cheaper and they claim the commodity lasts longer when compared to the ones packaged locally.
Recently, local authorities banned all imports of maize meal saying they were doing this primarily to protect local farmers and millers.
Farmers in the Caprivi want the Government to subsidize them so that they can be competitive with their Zambian counterparts. |
Source: Caprivi vision |
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