Minister Davies Chisopa and Agriculture deputy Minister Maxas Ng’onga
touring stands during the Electronic Voucher launch in Kabwe’s Mpima
Diary farming Block
GOVERNMENT has clarified that it has not imposed a ban on maize meal exports to Zimbabwe but has just restricted exports in order to verify how much grain was available in the country.
Agriculture Deputy Minister Maxas N’gonga said Zambia had not imposed a ban on maize meal export but only restricted the export because the country did not have a lot of surplus.
Mr N’gonga was reacting to a story carried by the Herald Newspaper of Zimbabwe that Zambia had banned maize exports to Zimbabwe, leaving millers in that country struggling to meet the demand.
He said despite Zambia not having a surplus to export maize to neighboring countries at the moment it had enough to feed the nation.
Mr N’gonga said the restriction which was regulated through export permits was aimed at verifying how much grain was in the country.
“Zambia has not imposed a ban on maize meal export to any country but restricted the export of maize because it did not have a surplus at the moment.
What we have is enough to feed the nation and not to export. The restriction is merely to verify how much grain we have as a country,” he said.
Mr N’gonga said the maize stored by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was meant for internal consumption as it was bought using tax payer’s money.
He said what was in stock at the moment would not be exported as Government had the obligation to feed the nation before thinking of exporting to other neighboring countries.
Mr N’gonga said when Zambia had adequate surplus maize it exported to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and other countries in East Africa.
He said Zimbabwe was not the only country that had been affected since the restriction was imposed.
Meanwhile, authorities in Mpulungu have intercepted trucks loaded with 200 tonnes of mealie-meal bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mpulungu District Commissioner Dennis Sikazwe said a combined team of officers from the Office of the President special branch, Zambia Police and his office had intercepted the trucks just before they entered the DRC.
Mr Sikazwe said the officers were prompted to intercept the trucks because the commodity was from Kasama Milling which had bought maize from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) at a lower price.
“Kasama Milling has been buying maize from Government at a reasonable price and these people are buying mealie-meal at a subsidised price and selling it at high price in the DRC.
As Government, we cannot allow this because this mealie-meal is meant for our people,” he said.
He explained that the two transporters Goosika General Dealers and Maronka Enterprises both had permits from the Ministry of Agriculture to allow them export the mealie-meal which are yet to be verified.
He said the trucks were currently parked at Mpulungu harbour under police security.
Mr Sikazwe warned unscrupulous traders who were buying the commodity at a subsidised price and exploiting consumers to desist from the vice.
“We have been warning these traders dealing in mealie-meal and exploiting Zambians.
They are selling the commodity at a price higher than the normal price,” he said.
Big contradiction in this story already. The Deputy Minister says anyone can export mealie-meal but not maize as long as they are issued a permit.
Meanwhile, The DC and Police are impounding trucks they are exporting mealie-meal lawfully.
These are serious inconstancies in this system. Zambia will lost forex in the process and businesses will fail to operate,hence will be forced to cut jobs !!
What hold does Mugabe and Zimbos have on PF? How can PF prefer to feed Zimbabweans than starving Zambians?
#ChagwaMustFall
Hon. Lubinda, why restrict, just buy enough for the country consumption using FRA. Thereafter, leave this issue to private sector to help bring in the dollar and encourage others to see farming as a viable alternative source of income.
Why impounding trucks with export permits and if update the government does not have accurate u information on how much maize we have then why did you decide to export without baseline information?
Chipatepate way of running government affairs.
Better to export meal meal because it is a finished product rather than government exporting maize which is a raw material to Zambia
No policy direction at all..please let’s elect someone but not these empty tins whose pot bellies are getting bigger every week!!
but lubinda said we had more than enough maize in the country!!! this proves what liars they are. we all said months ago that there is not enough maize yet they carried on exporting to ZIM and SA shame on you !!
These Visionless P.F, nyabwa’s then talk of plans to import maize from South America??
For all citizens who have some reasoning capacity, they will be aware this is just a scam by our visionless “Belly Politicians”, to deplete our treasury, & share the spoils in offshore accounts.
For any Zambian who even has half the amount of grey matter in their cranium, to hear those that say P.F is delivering, is totally insulting, & mind boggling!!
THIS IS THE SOLE REASON MOST OF BLACK AFRICA STILL REMAINS UNDERDEVELOPED & IN THE DARK AGES, HALF A CENTURY AFTER INDEPENDENCE!
#CHAGWA MUST FALL. #LUNGU AYENDE’
What a jock.The president tells us we have to import maize,the agricultural minister says we have enough stocks,now this giant midget says they have not verified how much stock we have and all this is happening in the 21 st century.Not to be out done the cadres say “ifintu ni Lungu”
If Zambia wants to grow economically, it must learn to add value to its resources before exporting. This is the only way to gain jobs, skills and economic growth; by valuing Zambian work and what it can add to these resources! Simply exporting the resources in their raw state will keep Zambia poor forever. Look to the developed world and what they are consuming that use those resources, make those products in Zambia THEN export!