The District Agricultural Coordinator (DACO) for Mafinga has warned farmers in the district to stop selling out all their farm produce.
Chewe Mutale, sounded the warning yesterday at the Farmers field day which was held in Nanchenja village.
Mrs. Mutale said that the habit of selling produce to a level of inducing poverty at household level should be discouraged.
She added that farmers should be responsible enough to see to it that they have enough produce to sustain the family and also enough to be used as seed in the next farming season.
The DACO said that farmers should not be dependent on relief food from government when the hunger situation in their homes are self-induced.
“You sell off all your produce and when hunger befalls you, you cry out to the government for relief food, is that fair?” she asked.
Mrs. Chewe also encouraged farmers to take farming as a serious business to earn a living from so as to eliminate poverty at household level.
She further advised farmers to wait for the government to set the floor price for maize and not rush into selling their produce to briefcase buyers.
“Please exercise some patience as we wait for government to set the floor price for maize and don’t rush to sell your maize to briefcase buyers as you may run at a loss,” she said.