Picture of Western Highlands farmers selling their crops. PICTURE SUPPLIED
By Sharon Engnui
Farmers from Western Highlands Province have called on the government to reduce tax on fertilizers and other chemicals products necessary for farming indicating that they have been making huge loss.
Most subsistence farmers were able to afford school fees, hospital bills, basic food items amongst others through farming. But when there is surplus all the produce goes to waste and they made a loss. A cabbage farmer Mrs. Josephine Paul said.
She noted that the prices of goods including the fertilizers are very high unlike before.
“We have noticed an increase in prices of goods, even the fertilizers price is very high, at K200, and above unlike before, for cabbage seedling its K550 for one packet, we normally make profit when there is demand but when there is surplus, we make huge loss, we can’t blame anyone since it’s our livelihood we continue farming.” she said
She said that this loss could be accounted for when the national government reduce the tax on chemical goods and fertilizers so it could be affordable.
Mrs. Paul further outlined that, there was a lot of cost involved in producing a quality food crop and elaborated.
“The price of fertilizers and seedlings is very costly; can the national government reduce the tax on these products as our livelihoods depends on it.” she said.
She said that a cabbage seedling cost K550 and one fertilizer would not cater for this one tin of cabbage seedlings, However, one tin was equivalent to 20 fertilizers which costed K270, with labor cost involved and other associated cost, sometimes she made good profit but sometimes when there was surplus, she made a huge loss.
They are also calling on the national government to provide a market for them so they can be able to sell the surplus produce.
“We don’t have proper markets, when one plants a cabbage other seems to follow, which resulted in surplus and sometimes there is no buyers, our food corps normally goes to waste, cost of transport and gate fees usually goes to waste and for that we request for the national government to find us a good market to sell our surplus produce.” she said.
