Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo says government has not issued a ban on the exportation of maize and mealie – meal but only an administrative restrictive measures have been put in place.
Speaking in Parliament during question for oral answer, Mr Katambo says there can only be a ban on the exportation of maize only if government issues a Statutory Instrument.
The Minister says these temporal measures that have been put in place are meant to safeguard the national food basket until government reaches the 500, 000metric tones targeted amount of maize as the 500,000 tones is only restricted to the budgetary allocation.
He says so far government has only managed to buying 167,000 metric tones of maize out of the 500,000 tones.
And when asked by Roan Member of Parliament how the country will sustain its self from the 167,000 metric tones of maize when government has failed to reach the 500,000 tones maize target the Minister has assured the nation that the country the national food basket is safe as the Food Reserve Agency stores maize in the specific reserves that will run the country for three to fours years.
Mr Katambo adds that once the target is met, farmers will be allowed to sale their maize beyond borders but for now they are only free to sale locally and at a price that suits their needs as the maize market is liberalized.
The Minister has indicated that in making sure that the country maintains the available maize stocks, Security Wings have been put at designated areas to make sure that no amount of maize is being exported.
Mr Katambo has also clarified on the issue of why some depots for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) are closed and he says this is because there are no farmers to sale their maize.
In conclusion Mr Katambo has indicated that farmers can still sale their maize to FRA within two weeks and has made an assurance that farmers will be paid their money once the treasury releases funds.
In other words, President Lungu cares about farmers and YOU and there is no need to impose the ban
Vote him in 2021
Thanks
BB2014,2016
The constitution DOES not allow third terms.
We need corrupt-free leaders with genuine interest to improve this country, and its people.
We do not need thieves in government.
you banned the export of mukula tree but the export still continued perpetuated by senior govt officers. even this ban is just for common man but you guys will continue exporting maize. I have never seen a clique of selfish people like you guys. you can use win the world medal on selfishness
Some of us spoke on this subject to the point we are now exhausted of it. We told the govt that no one is going to take their maize to them at that low maize floor price. We told the govt that millers have exploited farmers for years and in the beat interest of farming in Zambia to cut millers out of this picture and creat a value chain that sees consumers buy maize directly from farmers so that consumers can then take that maize to their local hammer mill or even to the solar mills that govt spent billions on.
That’s like saying we haven’t banned the export of maize but we have just put a ban on maize going out of the country, all in one sentence. But some ministers also.
But some opposition leaders are already known crooks, thieves, dictators; what would they be like once given instruments of power! Don’t experiment with them! They strip this country as they striped ZCCM etc!
If you cannot export maize or mealie meal that is the same as a BAN…. statutory instrument in place or not.
This “restriction”/ban will mean farmers will be unable to realise a profit as their available market is now much smaller and also local millers will be unwilling to buy maize because their market is also much smaller becaise they cannot export mealie meal. The price of maize has already dropped because of this.
Farmers and millers will both lose.