Representatives of the two countries made the request during a meeting with Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya yesterday.
Congolese Ambassador to Zambia Mayele Ghyor said his country was requesting for maize allocation of 100,000 tonnes for Lualaba Province as the initial allocation that the country got was being used in the Katanga Province of which distribution had already commenced.
Angolan Ambassador to Zambia Balbina Dias da Silva said her country was requesting for an allocation of 20,000 tonnes, of which she hoped the request could be attended to at the quickest time possible.
Ms Siliya said the Government would consider their requests as Zambia was alive to the fact that most countries did not experience a bumper harvest and hence the need to exhibit good neighbourliness by sharing its harvest.
“We have expressed sentiments that our President Edgar Lungu is willing to consider a Government to Government deal, even though we have a ban on the export of maize and mealie meal. When your neighbour’s house is burning it means even your house is more likely to burn,” she said.
Ms Siliya said the demand which was not just for the region, but also outside the region showed a great opportunity for both Government and private sector to take advantage of economically.
She said it was important for the country to realise that as it planned for farming, it should also plan for farming to export, as the demands have made a clear indication of a viable foreign market.
Ms Siliya said Zambia still remained reluctant to exporting maize as it did not want to create employment in other countries, while forgetting its own people but would rather export mealie meal.
She said her allegiance was to the people of Zambia to ensure availability of the commodity at an affordable price.
ALLOW SMALL SCALE FARMERS THROUGH THEIR COOPERATIVES TO EXPORT THE MAIZE FIRST! FOREX EARNED WILL BE USED WITHIN ZAMBIA THAT WAY! LET COMMERCIAL FARMERS SUCH AS ZAMBEEF, AMATHEON, BOER FARMERS ETC FIRST SELL TO MILLERS AND FRA TO MEET THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY REQUIREMENT! THE EXCESS THEY CAN THEN EXPORT!
ALLOW SMALL SCALE FARMERS TO EXPORT SO THAT THE FOREX EARNED IS USED IN ZAMBIA AND NOT BANKED ABROAD AS THESE COMMERCIAL FARMERS DO!
Full tym Roan united supoter lets go Roan Am behind u for win or lose
How can anyone have confidence in this fat husband stealing wh0re with all her corruption. Zambia yasila.
Angola is richer than zambia, how can they be begging from zambia? How do ask a sick person to hand over their medicine? There is someone wrong here. If zambia surplus maize,why not make maize meal cheap for the citizens instead of exporting and bank the loot abroad. Zambian wake up and chase these pirates out of town.
They are not begging. They want to buy
PLEASE IF YOU HAVE MERCY FOR THE CITIZENS WHO LABOUR DAY AND NIGHT FOR TOILING FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER TO HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD.
I smell corruption. Dola sees everything through the grasses of corruption
This has always been a critical business opportunity that the government has neglected. Job creation could be massive; bushe you politicians, why dont you just do what is correct? Imagine if this issue of smuggling was to be handled well; Cooperatives along the Congo-Zambian border could have employed many youths. The market is there, the manpower is there, what else do wait for?
This is completely stupid, ubunga is expensive for the average Zambian, why not offload the surplus you want to sell to other countries and Lower prices for the locals, but no, Dora and all want money in their pockets. Anyway Zambians need to stand up for themselves
Let the locals export on the basis of them paying 10 percent to GRZ as stated in the 2017 budget. Empower the locals. Forex will remain in the country. Allowing government to do this ends up money failing in wrong pockets. Zambians needs that money.