Don’t panic, we have enough food

ZAMBIANS should not panic over reports of hunger because the country is food secure, National Union for Small-Scale Famers in Zambia president Frank Kayula has said.

ZAMBIANS should not panic over reports of hunger because the country is food secure, National Union for Small-Scale Famers in Zambia president Frank Kayula has said.

Dr Kayula said in an interview, that the country was food secure despite some areas experiencing prolonged dry spells.

He said Zambians should not panic that there would be hunger because the country had enough maize to cater for all and no-one would die of hunger.

Dr Kayula said the maize grain the country had would go beyond the next harvest.

He said Zambians should not be cheated by some people that the country had a shortage of maize because the private sector as well as the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had enough maize grain.

“To say the truth what we have currently is more than enough. The private sector is holding more than enough.This country will never be affected in anyway. “So people should not be misled by some people that the country will be hit by hunger. This country has more than enough and no one will die of hunger,” Dr Kayula emphasised.

Meanwhile, Dr Kayula said Government should not subsidise mealie meal because it will be a double subsidise on the same commodity.

Dr Kayula said whether or not mealie meal was subsidised, it was both a political and economic decision. “Economically we would not advise that Government subsidise mealie meal because that is tantamount to a double subsidy on the same product and it is just a way of getting a lot of money from government on one commodity,” he said.

“What we have right now is going to see us through to next year and people are taking advantage and speculating over it, we have is sufficient,” Dr Kayula said.